Cookies for Gourry
by AeroGirl7986
Summary: Gourry and Lina are in Zephilia, and just in time for the Spring Festival! Time for an Inverse family reunion! : OOC, mushiness, etc. ALMOST COMPLETE! Plz review!
1. On the Way to Zephilia City

Cookies for Gourry

by AeroGirl7986

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey all! This is my second fanficcie, & it's a long one! It's, of course, a G/L fic, & greatly involves Zephilia & the Inverses (including Spot!). There may be out-of-characterness & lovey-doveyness ahead; recommended for girls only (but, hey! If you're a dude & into that, I ain't gunna judge!), so BEWARE! (roar!) With that out of the way, please ENJOY:D

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Slayers or any of its characters. Slayers is owned by Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi and some other people. I think that should go without saying, but hey, don't feel like getting sued today!

CHAPTER ONE

Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev were on the road, again. But, this time, they were headed to a place a little different, and somewhere that could scare the daylights out of Lina. The destination was Zephilia; or maybe to be more exact, Zephilia City, the place where Lina's family reside. Of course, Lina was pretty nervous about going back home, not to mention, she'd have to see her very-scary elder sister Luna ...

Gourry, who noticed Lina slowing down, turned around and asked, "Oi Lina, why are you slowing down? Hurry up or you'll get lost!" Lina perked up, trying to strut ahead of him. "How could I get lost when we're travelling into MY home country; and I am NOT slowing down! I just got lost in thought, that's all!" she roared. "Oh. What were you thinking about?" he asked non-chantaly. "Since when did you ever cared about what I think?" she snapped back, blushing a bit. "I dunno. I guess since I'm your protector! I should care about what you think. So ... what were you thinking about?" he asked again. "I was thinking about how about I Dragon Slave you, right here, right now!" she replied, with a playful grin on her face. Even though he saw that she must have been joking, he didn't want to take a risk. "OK, OK. If you really don't want to talk about it, we won't." he said, waving his hands out in front of him. She stared up at him, then gave him a smug smile.

L: You know, for my protector, you give up kinda easily.

G: I just don't feel like being Dragon Slaved today, that's all.

L: Aw, you're really worried about that? Hehe! It was only a joke, Gourry! You should know that. Well, I guess if you really wanna know what I was thinking about, I was wondering how my family will react, me coming back home and all. Especially getting reunited with Luna ...

A chill ran up her whole body; Luna had that kind of effect on Lina. Gourry looked at her, and smiled. "Don't worry, Lina. I won't let anything happen to you!" he said, putting his arm around her. Lina blushed, "Gourry, ... thanks!" she smiled. With that, Gourry and Lina looked at what lied ahead. Low and behold, they stopped at a cliff that overlooked a large city, with sunlight hitting down on them and the wind picking up Lina's mantle.

"Well, we made it, Gourry. This is Zephilia City."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi! Yeah, I know that the first chapter is super short, but don't worry! There's definitely more to come, and they won't be this short, either! I just wanted to start it off as their way to Zephilia, and start to second chapter at Zephilia, that's all. Oh, and about the out-the-characterness of this fic, there might be A LOT of that in here; what can I say? Trying to get in their heads can be challenging, but I will try my best to keep them in character. This is actually my second fanfic I've written, but I'm sure that shouldn't be an excuse. But, I know, once I get the hang of it, I could easily portray Lina & Gourry from their point-of-views in no time. But, hey, next to come, we get to catch a glimpse of Lina's hometown (or at least from the little bit of info I found on the Web & a lot from my imagination), & Gourry will be reunited with a someone that he met in the past. Thank you for your support by reading my story; I worked really hard on it, so it does mean a lot to me that you are reading it. Don't forget to review, also! THANK YOU:)


	2. Finally Home

Cookies for Gourry

by AeroGirl7986

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Slayers or any of its characters. Slayers is owned by Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi and some other people. I think that should go without saying, but hey, don't feel like getting sued today!

CHAPTER 2

They were only less than a mile from Zephilia City, that one place Lina would try to avoid going to at all costs. Gourry noticed that Lina was starting to slow down, sign of cold feet. "C'mon, Lina. Don't be scared, Look, once we make it there, we can eat, uh? That doesn't sound so bad, does it?" Gourry asked, but Lina lowered her head. Eating out might be worst idea right now, especially if they stop by a certain restaurant. Before she knew it, Gourry had her arm around her, and when she looked up at him, he smiled, "No matter what happens, I won't let anything happen to you, OK?" and winked. She smiled, "Gourry ... thanks." At that moment, she felt like leaning her head against his arm, but thought it'd be better if she didn't.

Not too long afterwards, they had reached where the border of Zephilia. He didn't have his arm around her no more, but they simply walked side-by-side. "You nervous?" Gourry asked. Lina nodded, "Yep. Let's go." she stated, stepping inside the border, entering Zephilia.

The city was fairly large, no bigger than Sariaag, but not to be considered a small town. The entrance of the city was inhabited by buildings that stood side-by-side as small businesses, mainly as bakeries or shops. A little farther into the city was a large marketplace, which stood very close to the city hall, which was located at the center of the city. The marketplace seemed bustling with business, with many people haggling, mostly bargaining, and some even just relaxing as they talked with their friends while staying by their carts. "Wow, there's a lot of merchants here. Hey Lina, look at this thing! Look at this! Look at that! Lookie, lookie, Lina!" Gourry pointed at almost every random thing that met his gaze, irritating Lina of course, until he saw a man, a tall onw, at that. He had black hair, with a few streaks of silver, and a cigarette tucked behind his ear. He was a little broader than Gourry, and looked to be quite young with a face that was very rugged, but still considered very handsome. Something about this particular man tugged at the back of Gourry's mind, almost like they had met before somewhere. Where, he couldn't accurately pin-point, since he doesn't recall seeing such a fellow in a suit, like this man, a merchant, was now. "Hey, Gourry, something wrong?" Lina asked, looking back at him, after noticing how quickly he became quiet. "I thought I saw someone, someone I met a long while back. But, it mostly have been me." Gourry explained non-chalantly. Lina just sighed, shrugging. "Anyways, let's keep on moving, jellyfish." she said, as she motioned for him to follow her.

Gourry just nodded, smiling, walking one step behind her, watching her. Wow, she admits that she's nervous about coming back home, yet she keeps on going, going to face it head on. Most girls would just turn tail by now, but not her. Once she's set on something, there's no stopping her. That, I will always admire you for, Lina, he thought in his head, as she continued walking ahead of him. In her mind, everything was so nerve-racking, her palms were sweating, she was looking at all the people that passed, making sure it wasn't that one person she didn't want to see, at least not yet. It was then Gourry broke the ice.

"Say Lina, isn't Zephilia supposed to be famous for something? Something about grapes?" he asked innocently. She looked at him, now that she changed her pace to match his. "Yeah, you're actually on the right track. Zephilia is pretty well-known for its wine, since wine comes from grapes. Most of the wines that are known, and even popular, come from Zephilia, you know. Yeah, but most everyone here has their own private vineyard, though, but during one of our national festivals, we'd use grapes from this huge old tree that can grow grapes and that's been around for maybe a hundred years or so; can you believe it? Usually grapes grow from vines, but this tree has the ability to grow grapes, can you believe it? It's really kinda cool, I remember some days, when I'd be hiding from Luna, I'd climb up on that tree and eat some of the grapes. And, the way our country makes wine, is all the maidens in that city gather together and crush the grapes together to make the wine. You know, the last time I was living here, I remember that there should be a festival coming up in a few days; that is, unless they already celebrated it early. Some years, the grapes riped too soon so we had to celebrate the festival early, or that'd just be a waste of grapes." Lina informed, with her hands behind her head. Lina continued on, giving little trivia bits to Gourry, while he listened intently and tried to best to pay attention. But, as always, he started to drift off in his own world, continuing to listen to her voice, just not her words.

Gourry liked to look at Lina while she explained important things to him, even though sometimes the things she'd be talking about would be way over his head. She just be radiant when she's into her topic, her crimson eyes would twinkle with both concentration and with her own interest in the certain topic, her hair would seem to glisten when she spoke, and the sound of her voice was just comforting in some way that he just couldn't describe. Even though she'd usually fireballing him for not listening, or even have him in a headlock, he didn't mind it anymore, and he'd sometimes favor the headlock more since he'd have an excuse to be so close to her, and even defend himself by maybe tickling her to get her to let go. Not to mention her certain sweet smell her hair carried with her, of lavendar and orange tea.

"Gourry? Hello in there?" Lina asked, with an irritated tone in her voice, waving her gloved hand in front of his face. Gourry blinked, "Huh? Ehehehe! I guess I wasn't paying attention again, Lina." he nervously laughed, rubbing the back of his head. She just sighed, and continued on, "Normally, I'd be having you in a headlock right now, but I'm really not in the mood. Anyways, judging by the city hall setting up for something that looks like a huge party, it looks like we're right on time for that festival I was telling you about, if you were even listening to me earlier." she said, as she stopped and pointed to her right, where the city's center was located.

G: So, there'll be wine there, would there?

L: Hey, maybe you were listening a little, for a change! Yep, you're right, for once; all the maidens will get together and gather all the grapes and make wine. Something about the festival celebrating spring: about all the wonders of springs, and everything returning and growing back since the winter's last frost or something dumb like that.

G: You don't sound too enthused about it.

L: I'm not; it's just an excuse to have another festival. We have plenty of festivals, but we just need more excuses to drink wine.

G: Hmm, ... will you be making wine, too?

L: (light blush) Um, well, I guess, under normal circumstances, I would, but I've been gone for so long, I'm not so positive if they'd really let me.

G: Yeah, you DO have to be a maiden to make wine, anyways ...

L: (furious blush) AND WHAT IN NINE HELLS ARE YOU IMPLYING!

G: N-nothing! I swear!

L: I AM A MAIDEN, I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW!

G: I never said you weren't! Really!

Lina soon noticed the townspeople staring at them, judging that they pretty much heard her and Gourry's "private" argument, and the possibility that some of them thought that she looked familiar. At that point, she just giggled nervously, scratching her head, bowing down and apologizing for the interruption; with that, grabbed Gourry's wrist and both bolted out of there, and especially avoiding the side of town which a restaurant by the name of Flute Glass was located, for a very important reason.

After that ordeal, Lina finally stopped, with Gourry and her panting and sitting on the sidewalk. Still catching her breath, Lina noticed where exacty they were in the city. She recognized this part of the city very quickly, and didn't even realized that she led Gourry & herself here. Heh, it must've come naturally to me, since I've always walked this way home from grade school. She looked at the large sign, sitting across the road from where they sat, that read, Emerald Vineyard, referring the particular neighborhood by that name. With that, Lina sat up, and walked into the neighborhood.

It was a very serene-looking neighborhood, the roads long and sheltered by tall trees that practically covered the sky around them from the heat from the sun, with dozens of birds scattered in the forest of trees, all chirping and tweeting. The roads were paved, and all of them seemed to have a name to be referred by.

Lina walked up to the first street sign, reading out loud, "Barbella and Brunello ... This way! C'mon Gourry!" Gourry looked up at the sound of Lina's voice calling his name. "Uh? Hey, Lina, where are we going?" he asked, nevertheless, following closely behind her. "Where do you think, jellyfish? I'm gunna show you my home!" she shouted back, as she ran down Brunello Way. She didn't bother to stop, and Gourry didn't mind. Lina's mind was racing, as she was remembering the way home. Down Concord Road they ran together, took a right turn on Chardonnay Boulevard, and took a shortcut down Cabarnet Street. Finally, they had reached a moderate-sized brick house, addressed 1648 Pinot Gris Avenue, with a wooden birdcage mailbox out in front of the house. Lina stepped up in front of this house, with a sad look in her eyes. She reached out to the mailbox, sighing, "Gourry, I'm finally home." Gourry acknowledged her by nodding his head, and placed his hand on her shoulder as they looked at the house.

Gourry took in the appearance of the house: a red brick house, with parts of the house painted a creme-color, a front yard that had soft green grass which featured a stone pathway, with small golden yellow and light violet flowers gracing the front door; the house had a front porch, with a wide wooden swing that seemed like fun to swing on, and on the red front door, a large handicrafted happy white rabbit that held a large orange carrot that read, Welcome, on it. The house looked like anyone's dream house come true. Gourry was shocked that this was the home of the Inverses. He didn't know how else it might have looked like, but he certainly didn't imagined like this.

Lina walked on the stones, with Gourry following her closely, to the front door. As she reached for the doorbell, he saw her hand was trembling with hesitation. She gulped, and rang the bell. When they heard the bell ring from the outside, Lina shuffled her foot as Gourry cracked his neck, waiting for the door to be answered. Lina's ears perked up when she heard faint steps coming towards the front door. "Coming!" a woman's voice called back, possibly interrupted from her cooking. Lina felt dozen of butterflies fluttering in her stomach right now, since she recognized the woman's voice instantly.

"Hello?" the woman's voice called, as she opened the door. The woman, who very much like an older version of Lina, was a good couple inches taller than her. She had golden-red hair, that was pulled back in a loose ponytail, that her soft curls flows on her back, with large hazel eyes and long eyelashes. She could be considered well-endowed, donning an ensemble, not one a housewife would wear, but a homemaker extraordinaire with a pale blue sleeveless turtleneck and white pedal-pushers with pearl jewelry, complete with a large white apron that covered her front. Her skin has a peaches-and-cream complexion, and her face looked very young, or at least younger than one who has a teenage and an adult daughter. The moment the woman and Lina's eyes met, the woman was apparently stunned. "Li ... Lina?" she asked, with her voice so soft, one could almost not hear her question.

Lina scratched her head. "Hehe! Hi, Mama; miss me?"

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey there, readers! I hope you all are enjoying my story; but, if you're reading this, means you must've reached the end of this chapter, and if you did that means you must've liked it! Yay for you:D (cheers) Hehe, wonder if y'all saw that ending coming! Did you? No? GOOD! Yeah, a bit of a cliffhanger, I know. I did that on purpose; originally, I intended to make the second installment's ending with Lina & Luna meeting again, but the second was getting so long, I decided to just end it temporarily with Lina & her mother (her name will be revealed in a future chapter!) meeting again for the first time in close to five years. Also, expect future chapters to be about this length, in story, or so; the first one was just a fluke, & was only made that short to have the second start off basically at Zephilia City. Ooh, fun little trivia fact for you trivia-lovers: you guys noticed a slight pattern with Emerald Vineyard's street names? If not, I'll give you a hint: ... Zephilia's main attraction. Still don't get it? (all the wine-drinkers who are reading this fic are rolling their eyes right now, I;d bet) WINE GRAPES! Yep, I Googled the kinds of grapes used for wine, & found a pretty informative site, which had all the types of grapes in alphabetical order. Another little tidbit, the address which the Inverses' house is located is heavily modeled after my old address in my hometown. So, what did you guys think of Lina's mom, uh? Of course, I had nothing to go on, on how she would be intended to look, so I had no choice but to think of how she'd look like on my own. It's much harder than it looks, since I tried to make it seem convincing that she could be the mother to Lina, but also to Luna, who looks much different from Lina, and especially when their father doesn't seem to remotely resemble either of them. Gourry's been a bit quiet during most of the story; sorry about that! The third installement will be mainly Lina, Lina's mom either talking or reminiscening, and a touch of Gourry making a comment about Lina to her mom here and there. I realize that this story is SUPPOSED to be mainly about Gourry, but I believe that we need to establish Lina's family a little first, since they'll be pretty involved in this, and the festival is going to play a key role, so watch out for that. I realize now, this story is going to be a doozy, but with some luck & a good two days off, I think I'll be able to do it:D Well, thank you for reading & please, continue on! Ciao


	3. Hi Mom! Long Time No See!

Cookies for Gourry

by AeroGirl7986

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Slayers or any of its characters. Slayers is owned by Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi and some other people. I think that should go without saying, but hey, don't feel like getting sued today!

CHAPTER 3

Lina's mother's eyes watered the second she heard Lina's voice. She hugged her youngest daughter tightly, "LILI! You came back! I'm so happy! I thought I would never see you again sometimes, hearing some of those horrible rumors about you and your travels!" Lina's mother was almost hysterical, hugging Lina so tightly that she could barely breathe. Lina was in shock; So, my parents DID hear about some of those rumors about me? I wonder which ones ..., Lina thought, until she felt her lungs start hurting from lack of oxygen. "Mama, ... need ... to ... breathe." Lina stammered, her face almost turning blue. "Oh." her mother snapped out of her phase easily, releasing her daughter. Lina took a big breath, and laughed nervously to her mother. "Oh, Lili, I'm so glad you're here. Your father and I have missed you so much while you were on your travels for so many years. Please don't run away from us like that again." her mother begged with not a pleading tone, but a concerned tone. Her mother really didn't look old enough to be a mother sometimes, at least not to a teenager and an adult daughter. Gourry took in this reunition, unable to move, unable to even say a word. ... Lili? Was that REALLY Lina's pet name, was all he could only process.

Lina's mother then looked beyond her daughter's shoulder, to the tall blonde stranger. "Lili-honey, do you know this man?" she asked. Just then, Gourry thawed out of his own frozen state, stammering, "Uh, well, um, I am ... that is ... My name is ... um, Mrs. Inverse ... " Lina just sighed, saying with a matter-of-face tone, "This is Gourry Gabriev. He's been my protector since about five years ago. He's a little slow and he makes a lot of dumb comments, but he's a really skilled swordsman. He's even better than me! He's, in fact, a descendant of the Swordsman of Light, like from the legend from Sairaag. We met those five years, when he came across me about to take care of survivor bandits, but he's been with me since then." Lina informed her mother, bringing her almost up-to-date. "Ahh! Lili, what have I told you about raiding bandits' hideaways? And robbery, on top of that! You know that I, and your father, really disapprove of that! You're going to get hurt, doing that, one day, and you'll have no one but yourself to blame; besides, what would I ever do with myself if my sweet little Lili gets hurt?" her mother whining, hugging Lina once again, while Lina just nervously giggled. "Now, now, Mama. Calm down." she reasoned. Lina's mother's eyes met Gourry's gaze again, and smiled, "I'm sorry; how rude of me to get reacquintated with my dear daughter and not invite you both inside. You both must be so tired from your trip! Please, come inside! Come, come, come!" her mother beaconed, with the young pair making their way inside her home.

Lina instantly removed her boots the second she stepped inside, along with her shoulder guards and cape. Gourry immediately followed suit, removing his boots and armor. Lina's mother giggled, "Aww, Lili, you remembered!" her mother sighed, clasping her hands in front of herself with delight, then paused to see the confused look on Gourry's face, "You see, Gourry-hon, when Lili was younger, she'd always forget to remove her shoes when she'd step inside, and get the carpet all dirty, after I've spent all day cleaning it, to begin with; so, one day, I took it upon myself to threaten her with no meals if she'd ever step inside the house with dirty shoes on again!" she tilted her head, giggling. "You could only imagine the look on her face when I told her this; she was so scared, I knew she believed it." she told Gourry, who tried not to laugh out loud at the cost of his health. "Eh, hehe! Mama, don't you have something to do now?" Lina quickly changed the subject. "(snaps finger) Oh, right! I was just about to make a batch of dragon beard candy! Hey, would you like to help me, Lili? You can help, too, if you'd like to, Gourry-hon!" her mother cheered, humming all the way to the kitchen. The kitchen looked huge, with a large window right behind them, with bright sunlight making everything in the kitchen glow; the counter was cluttered, but in a neat fashion, with baking ingredients like a large bag of rice flour, sugar, peanuts, a bottle of corn cyrup, a rolling pin, and other miscellaneous ingredients and equipments; all her culinary equipment looked all like some that would appear in an home-maker's kitchen; she even had a fruit-and-vegetable centerpiece closeby, which was very colorful and nice to look at. Gourry was beyond impressed with the Inverses' home, especially with the kitchen.

"Gourry-hon, have you ever made dragon beard candy before?" Lina's mother asked, pulling out a large bowl from under the counter, glancing at him. "Uh, no, I don't think so." Gourry stammered, shaking his head. Gourry, even though her mother was so nice and courteous, he was still felt intimidated by her; mainly since she IS Lina's mother, and wants to make a good impression, and also because he's afraid of doing something stupid and really did want to do that. "Oh, that's OK! Lili has helped me make some a couple of times before when she was a girl, but it takes many years of experience to get them just right; so if you have any questions, please ask me, ok? Oh, Lili, this brings back such memories; remember when you would be helping, just like you are now, when you were a little girl, you'd used to eat half the batch before I could even get ready to refridgerate it, so I've learned to make two batches from then on, one for Lili to eat, and one for actual use!" Lina's mother sighed, reminscencing on the good old days. "Haha! Yep, that sounds like Lina, alright! But now, she could eat a whole menu, three times over, and still eat food off my plate!" Gourry stated, resting his hand on her head. Lina felt very irritated, with Gourry sharing his stories about her to her mother. Lina's mother was in shock, and stopped what she was doing, almost dropping the entire bottle of corn cyrup in a large pot. "THREE times over? My goodness, Lili ... But I guess I shouldn't judge, since back in my day, I was able to eat an entire menu, five times over, and 15 pints of ale, and still have a little more room to spare!" Mrs. Inverse stated proudily, resuming back to her cooking, while Gourry's jaw literally dropped to the ground. "Wow! ... Do ALL the Inverses have appetites like that? I thought Lina was the only one." Gourry asked bluntly, while Lina's mother just giggled, at the blunt question of Gourry's, and Lina was just plain annoyed by his question. "Of course there is a reason," she resumed to her cooking, "magic can really absorb your energy, of course it always depends on the person and what kind of magic you're using. And it just so happens that, back in my days, I was considered quite the sorceress; and a really powerful one, at that! The way how I'd used to gain back my energy as by eating huge amounts of food, and I guess Lili took after me on that! As I recall, I still have a few projectors left from those years, if you two would like to see them. I even kept the ones of when Lili was a girl!"

Gourry couldn't believe this; Lina's mom was a SORCERESS? This was huge! This would explain a lot of things that had nagged in the back of his mind from time to time. "Um, Mama, do you really think you need to tell Gourry all this stuff? I'd bet he won't even remember half of it in an hour!" Lina smiled nervously. Gourry looked at Lina, whose been quiet for the past minutes, a bit too quiet. "Oi, what's that s'pposed to mean?" he asked, with an annoyed tone in his voice. "Mama, is Papa still at work right now?" Lina asked, ignoring Gourry's question. Lina's mother nodded, "Yes, he won't be home until sundown. Oh, goody, the corn syrup's already thickening up! Now, it's time to refridgerate! Oh, and we're also expecting Luna to be home very soon. Aren't you excited, Lili?" Lina froze when she heard her mother say the name, Luna.

"L-L-Luna? Luna will be h-HERE?" Lina stammered, striken with fear at the mention of her older sister's name. Lina's mother put away the tub of hot corn syrup in a small box, which she casted a chill spell on, to refridgerate the batch for five hours. "Why, yes." she stood up. "Are you alright, Lili? You look pale. What's wrong? Does it have to do with why you left us? What DID happen to you before you ran away? Luna never really told us, and you've always seem to avoid coming here ever since you left. You two used to be so close, now you have that same reaction of fear to her, as you would to a swarm of slugs." her mother pryed; it was obvious that she was oblivious to the real reason she left home, and that fact that she mentioned slugs didn't really help Lina any.

She rested her hand on Lina's cheek, while she looked at her with a soft look in her hazel eyes. "She missed you so much while you were gone. I know that she would tend to pick on you, may have treated you roughly in the past, and may not have shown you love by affection like I always have, but know that she really loves you and missed you so much when you were away. I can tell by the look in her eyes. Whatever she did, I'm sure she regrets it more than anything." her mother consoled, Gourry just watching the moment. He's never imagined Lina's mother to be so ... motherly. Lina always seemed like such a tough girl, and never dreamed that her family to be so warm and friendly. He wondered if this was why Lina never wanted to settle down, and why DID she run away from a family that seemed so affectionate and made CANDY maybe DAILY? "Mama, ... thank you." Lina responded, pulling her hand from her cheek, looking down, but with a smile on her face. With that, they heard the door swing open, and a younger woman's voice called out, "Hello? Mama, I'm back!" A chill ran up Lina's body. The newcomer could only be one person, and that would be ... "L-L-L-Luna ... " Lina stuttered, sweating like there was no tomorrow, her face losing its usual peaches-and-cream color, and becoming almost hysterical. Just at the moment Luna walked in the kitchen, her hidden eyes met her younger sister's. Luna blinked.

"Well, long time no see, sis." she casually stated, leaning against the kitchen doorway frame.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey there, fellow readers! Wow, you have no idea how much it took to finish these three chapters this past week, & still have many to go! (EEK!) But, in the end, I know it'll be all worth it! Thank you all for your support:D So, now we get to meet Luna. Hehe, another cliffhanger; done on purpose, of course. I usually like to end things with one of those, but don't worry! I have the next chapter! There is a limited amount on Luna found on the web, but in Slayers Special manga vol. 2 & 3, Lina mentions Luna, about how she was the one who taught her her homemaking skills (who probably got them from her mom) & it was she who urged her to set out for the world, not because she gave her such a beating that she ran away. I'm also aware that she was also mentioned in the Slayers Special novels, which volume they were I don't know. And, of course, there's the anime which only mentioned Luna maybe twice during the whole series, once in the first season & for a segment in the third season (TRY) in the second episode. Luna is a character I really wish we could've met in the anime; I think it would've been cool to see Lina & Luna in the anime, but I guess that's how the cookie crumble. So, I'm sure many knows that Luna has violet hair, that was shoulder-length, & sleek hair with her bangs usually covering her eyes (I guess to give her that scary effect); in all honesty, Luna actually looks sorta like Xelloss (hair-wise, of course), whether if that was intended or not, don't ask me. So, I know I'll be having a challenge, trying to give her details to her appearance, but I will stick with the handful of images I have saved, & maybe make up a few more. Oh, and about Lina's mom's character: since I don't recall Lina ever talking about her or anything, I've decided to take it upon myself to make her this warm, loving, motherly-kind of mom. If this offending anyone, I'm really sorry about that, & honestly don't mean to offend anyone, but I will continue to make her this character. Anyone who has watched Friends before, or was a fan, may find that she will resemble Monica Geller slightly, down to her expertise in the culinary area (this would explain why she looks not like a housewife, but of a homemaker, & all her UPDATED cooking equipment) to her cleanliness. I LOVE Monica, she's hilarious! I guess some would wonder HOW could Lina's mom fit this sort of personality, but I'd like to add that, since Lina could see herself as her mother (both being sorceresses & all), she figures that if she settled down, she'd give up travelling, raise a family, and become a housewife-type person, therefore becoming her mom; I'm not going to say it that that's not what she wants, but just probably not yet. ... HOLY GOODNESS, my notes go on for FOREVER! Hehe, sorry 'bout that! Hope you found the info you wanted to find! Well, I hope you guys like the fourth installment & don't forget to review! (Oh, & if anyone's curious on that dragon beard candy recipe, here's the address: http/ ) Ciao, all!


	4. Luna is HERE? Moment of Doom!

Cookies for Gourry

by AeroGirl7986

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Slayers or any of its characters. Slayers is owned by Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi and some other people. I think that should go without saying, but hey, don't feel like getting sued today!

CHAPTER 4

"It's been a long time, Lina." Luna said, as she crossed her arms over her chest and walked forward. Gourry blinked, "Hey Lina. Who's she?" she asked innocently. One of Lina's blood vessels popped out of one of her temples, as she glared at Gourry. "Now, look here," pulled him into a headlock, with face towards Luna. Luna cocked an eyebrow. "Take a good look. Who do YOU think she is?" Her fear totally diminished, due to fact that her annoyance was too great to Gourry's ingnorance, than her fear of her older sister. Gourry took a good, hard hard look at the second Inverse he has met today.

She was tall, taller than Lina at least; she seemed about the same height as her mother, actually. She had sleek, shoulder-length, lavendar hair that shined like silk, wearing a pearl headband; her eyes were a bit difficult to see under her long bangs, but he could make out that they were pink in color, with a purple hue, with long eyelashes. Her complexion was the same as Lina and her mother. She was holding a strange-looking red hat in her hand, a hat that looked tiara-shaped with simple designs and gems at its ends. The hand that is holding her hat is sporting a red band with a transparent ruffle hanging off it. She was obviously well-endowed, which stood out, wearing her apron underneath her breasts. Her ensemble was unlike any other he has ever seen before. It was most definitely a dress, a white one, that started at her neck, with a red collar. The dress was sleeveless, with exception of transparent ruffles that ended at her forearms. Starting from the chestbone down to her chest, was the dress peeking out of her red apron, emphazing on her breasts, leaving the middle of her chest vertically exposed, showing off her cleavage; the only thing that disrupted the sight of her cleavage was the lace used to tie the torso of her dress. Her flowing skirt was covered by the red apron, that tied around her waist, covered of her dress, and ended a little above her knees which the skirt itself ended at her knees.

"Hmm, ... She doesn't remind me of anyone I know!" Gourry laughed, scratching his head, still held in Lina's headlock. "Jell-ee-fiish ... " Lina growled under her breath, gripping tighter. "Lina, ... can't ... breathe ... " Gourry choked, as his face still to turn blue. "Lili! Let him go! You'll choke him!" Lina's mother scolded, restraining her very-furious redheaded daughter. Luna just giggled, "I see you haven't changed a bit, Lina." she stated, giving her sister a wink and a cheeky smirk. Lina then released herself from her mother's girp, turning to her older sister, who stepped up to Lina. Her fuchsia eyes were now visible under her bangs, as she smirked at her little sister. Lina trembled violently as Luna smirked at her, and shut her eyes tightly. Well, better let her have it now; she won't a better opportunity, Lina thought as she prepared herself for the worst, meaning another beating from Luna. But what happened next, Lina thought she must be delirious.

She didn't feel any punches, any hits, just warmth wrapped around her. She opened her eyes, to find Luna hugging her. "Come, Gourry-hon. Let's leave them alone." Lina's mother suggested, with Gourry nodding and leaving the room, not before taking a quick look behind, with Luna hugging Lina. Luna hugged her tightly, and Lina blinked. "Luna ... ?" she questioned. Luna pulled away, "Hehe! Bet you didn't see that coming, did ya, sis?" She sniffed, chuckling lightly at herself. She then started ruffling her head, annoying Lina already. "You know, just we might have had a touching moment, you just had to ruin it, didn't you, Moon-breath?" Lina asked with an annoyed look on her face, referring to Luna by her old nickname. Luna just smiled widely, shoving Lina to her, "That's what big sisters are for!" and gave her a peck on top of her head, then shoved her back, before Lina could even react. "Stop it, dammit! You know I hate it when you do that!" Lina shouted, straightening her hair. "Why, I don't know what you talking about, Lili!" Luna teased, flashing Lina with a cheeky smile. "Ah! Luna, not you too!" Lina whined, while Luna just laughed loudly. "(Loud sigh) It's been years since we've last done this; it made me almost come to miss it! Aw, you've been home for way too long. It's good to have you home, squirt!" Luna smiled, puttng her arm around Lina, and Lina just smiled back, hearing Luna call her by her old nickname. "Yeah. This isn't even as bad as I thought this might've been." Lina replied. "Uh? How did you think this was going to be?" Luna asked, oblivious of Lina's years-long fear of her. "Oh, nothing." Lina responded innocently.

Lu: Ooh ... you thought I would've beated you to a pulp for those projectors of yours, didn't ya? Don't you dare think I've even come close to forgetting about THAT little stunt. But, you know, if you really want me to, --

Li: Eek! NO! PLEASE, LUNA! DON'T DO IT!

Lu: Hm, maybe you're right. Why beat you when SLUGS get more of a rise outta you?

Li: YOU WOULDN'T DARE! MOON-BREATH!

Gourry and Mrs. Inverse were in the living room, where the two were relaxing, having tea and sitting across from each other on the comfty armchairs. Gourry couldn't help but look around the room, at all the different artifacts that were displayed. Of course, the room had large amounts of Mrs. Inverse's touches, like white rose centerpieces and bowls of flowery potpourri, the fragrance reminded him very much of Lina, but it also had many objects that seemed apparent that she probably was a traveller, also, for a number of years; they even had a miniture golem of a rounded figure, which looked very similar to Lina. It was then Gourry wondered what exactly did Mr. Inverse do for a living. "How is tea, Gourry-hon? Is it too cold? Too bitter? Too sweet?" Mrs. Inverse interrupted Gourry's train of thought. "Huh? Oh, no, no, no; my tea is just fine." he stated, waving his hands out front, and took another sip. "Good," she smiled, "So, maybe I should just cut to the chase. What exactly is your relationship with my daughter?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow, making a suspicious face towards him. She never seemed to suspect him for anything before, so this change of attitude alerted Gourry.

"Uh, well, I'm her protector." he stated bluntly. "You and I know, as well as anyone else who knows her, that she most definitely does not need a protector; being my daughter, and also the one who taught most everything she knows about Black Magic, she had incredible potential, and I'm aware that she is might infamous throughout the land as Lina Inverse, the Bandit Killer, Dragon Spooker, and also Enemy Who All Live, and I know there're others, but I wish not to say them. So, I know that there must be another reason that you have stayed with my daughter for five years, I believe she said. Don't think I don't appreciate your protection towards her; if anything, I am most flattered that you have showed such devotion and dedication to the wellfare of my youngest daughter. But, also, I would like to know the reason for it, please." Mrs. Inverse stated, her voice now stern and determined. She was most definitely the mother to Lina Inverse. "The reason ... you know, I've never really thought about it. I just know that I want to keep travelling with Lina. She once asked me how long do I plan on protecting her, and I honestly didn't know but I took her, 'for the rest of my life.' Why I said that, I don't know; it just seemed like it was true. But, also, it's because ... I have a fondness for your daughter, Mrs. Inverse." Gourry said, smiling at her mother, who was pleased with his answer. "Thank you. That was the answer I was hoping to hear. And, also, you don't need to call me that; it sounds too formal! Please, call me Fiona." she smiled. "OK, Fiona!" they both smiled.

"Oh, also, Lina was telling me about this festival-thing that's coming in a few days. Do you know what day that's going to be, Fiona?" Gourry asked, non-chalantly. "Hm, the festival is usually either held early or even postponed, but this year, we're actually going to be have it in a few days from now, on March the 21st; the perfect day to celebrate spring!" Fiona cheered, clasping her hands together. "The twenty-first, huh?" Gourry remarked out loud, holding his chin in thought. "Hm? Something bothering you, Gourry-hon?" she asked. Gourry laughed, embarassibly, "No, not at all. It's just, the twenty-first of this month is my birthday."

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

A flash of red-orange hair, who could only be Lina, whizzed into the living room, where Gourry and Fiona were, and glomped onto Fiona's arm. "Mama, save me! It's coming!" the frightened redheaded wailed, gripping tightly onto her mother's arm. "What's wrong, Lili? What's coming?"

"HEY SQUIRT! WHERE ARE YOU RUNNING OFF TO? I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT TO MEET MY NEW PET, MR. SLUG! STOP HIDING FROM ME AND COME PET SLUGGY!"

"Mama, don't make me do it! I don't wanna meet Mr. Slug! I wanna pour salt on 'im!" Lina whined, quivering at the thought of the slug. Fiona sighed, patting her daughter's head. She stood up, leaving her daughter, hiccuping on her chair, and left the room to stop her older daughter from her teasings. Lina then moved from her mother's chair to Gourry, clinging onto him, hiccuping and mumbling how she hates slugs.

"Lulu, don't you think that's enough? She's scared to death; you can stop this now." Fiona simply stated, her voice agitated and stern, when she found Luna running throughout the house, holding the slug out in front of her. "Ah, Mama, I was just having some fun with her, that's all. She knows that!"

F: Maybe she does, but right now, she is frightened out of her wits by that thing. We both know that she has always had an extreme fear of slugs. Now, get it out of the house and stop these childish games, Lulu.

Lu: (sighs) Fine, just keep that name down to a mininum, could you, Mama?

F: (makes starry eyes) But, why? I think it's such a cute name, Lulu! (drops the act) Doesn't feel so good, does it?

Lu: Yeah, yeah; I see your point. I'm going to put away the slug now, so bring out Squirt, so I can give her my farewells; I'm going home, now.

F: Alright. (walks after Luna) By the way, how's Spot doing?

Lu: Spot's doing OK. He's still pouting 'bout something, though, and I don't have the faintest clue why.

F: Hm, ... oh Lulu --

Lu: (mumbles) Oh, boy. Here it comes.

F: Why don't you have your bangs cut? You can't even see your beautiful eyes anymore.

Lu: 'Cause I like it better this way. I don't have to look at the customers anymore.

F: You know that's why you're not getting good tips anymore, you know?

Lu: That's not true, Mama. My tables are just cheapskates, that's all. Especially that ten-top from the other day; WOULD IT KILL THEM TO TIP 15 PERCENT! I mean, REALLY!

Fiona smiled after Luna, who was climbing down the stairs, now ranting about her previous, and I'll add stingy, customers at the Flute Glass. They made their way to the backyard garden, and there Luna set down the slug on the ground. Fiona stepped behind Luna, and hugged her around her neck, with Luna still with her arms crossed. "I'm glad that my two girls are together again. I'm really happy ... " Fiona sighed, making Luna smile. "Yeah; me too, Mama." With that, she looked up to the sky, watching the birds fly above.

A few minutes later, Luna decided it was time to head back to her house, not to mention Spot was probably starving by now. "Well, look's like it's my cue to head back home. I need to get out of these clothes, anyways. So, I guess I'll be back tomorrow to visit my little Squirt, uh?" Luna chuckled, pulling Lina into a headlock and giving her a noogie. "STOP IT, MOON-BREATH!" Lina roared, pulling out of the headlock and straightening her messed-up hair. Luna just giggled lightly, then noticed a tall blonde man that she didn't recognize. "Hey, who's this guy?" she asked bluntly, pointing to Gourry. Gourry just scratched the back of his head. "I'm Gourry. I'm Lina's protector." he simply stated. Luna cocked an eyebrow at him, then a smug smirk. JUST Lina's protector, uh? ..., was what was running through Luna's mind, just before she saw a plot unfoiling in her mind. With that, she waved goodbye to everyone, shouting, "Tell Papa I said, hi, and that I'll be back tomorrow!" before she walked to her house.

After seeing Luna off, close to sundown, Fiona, Gourry and Lina were all sitting in the living room, all with a cup of hot tea in their hands. Gourry and Lina were starting to feel hungry; with all that was going on, they cloud've really gone for a whole menu, triple portions. Lina stood up her seat, "I'll be back, Mama." and walked off to the bathroom. Fiona smiled, then turned to Gourry, "So, would you like to see some projectors?"

Lina was returning from the girls' room when she had roaring laughter; not just laughter, GOURRY's laughter. "Hey, what's so funny?" Lina asked, finally entering to the living room just in the knick of time. "Ah, Lili, you're just in time! Gourry and I were just going through over family album, and Gourry found one of you!" she cheered, while Lina just fell over. "Oh yeah, ... which one ... ?" Lina asked, sitting up, almost afraid to even ask. "Oh, it's the one where you were only five, and you wet your bed!" Fiona smiled innocently, causing Lina to fall over again. Gourry blinked, "Are you OK, Lina?" Lina just glared at him, growling, "Oh, sure, Jellyfish. I'm A-OK. Here, let me show you." she snarled, wrestling him down to the ground. "I give up! I give up!" he whined, while she had him secure under her grip with a certain wrestler move. "Lili, Lili, look! This is the one when you were only four, and you were dressed up for your first Shabraneen!" Fiona cheered, distracting Lina from continuing to wrestle down Gourry. "Aw, ready?" with that, she released her grip on him and ran to sit by her mother to see, "No doubt, I was an adorable little princess. Right, Mama?" she boasted, with a superior look on her face. Her mother only sweatdropped, "Um, actually, you were a pumpkin; and a very cute pumpkin, I must add!" Gourry crawled over to his chair and looked at the hologram of a certain little redheaded girl in a very rounded, very orange costume, with a small green hat on her head, with her hair in pigtails and her large red eyes looking like she didn't have a clue on what was going on. "Lina, ... was that really you?" Gourry asked, with Lina looking away and blushing. "Well, who else do you think it is, Gourry?" Gourry just nodded, and looked back at the hologram. He never thought he'd ever be able to get a glimpse of Lina when she was a child, and took a good look at the hologram, and smiled. Then, the hologram turned to Gourry's direction and smiled, "Papa." Gourry just jumped out of his chair, and Fiona and Lina giggled at Gourry's reaction. "C'mon Jellyfish; it's just a hologram. What's wrong with you?" They enjoyed themselves, watching Gourry getting a raise, from the hologram baby Lina lifting herself up and walking up to her father. The hologram finally met up with her father, and hugged his leg. "Papa." she sighed, and he bend down and picked her up. "OI! I KNOW THAT GUY!" Gourry roared, sitting straight up, pointing at the hologram.

"Darling, I'm home!" a male's voice called out to the house.

"I'm in the living room, dear!" Fiona called back, with a starled Gourry. I know that guy; I know him! Where do I remember that guy? C'mon, I know I remember, Gourry reasoned internally, while he scratched his head. It was then Lina's father stepped into the room. "Miss me -- ?" he stopped myself when he saw his wife sitting with the two famaliar faces, one whose face was very famaliar to him.

"Guess who dropped into town, dear?" Fiona smiled, while his eyes was focused on the young redhead. "Lina? You've finally come home, Pumpkin!" he smiled, with arms open for Lina to hug. "P ... Papa!" Lina jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly. Fiona smiled, "Now I remember! I REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!" Gourry roared, pointing at Mr. Inverse. "Hey, aren't you that kid I met before? What was your name, ... Gourry? Yeah, now I remember. How have you been?" Mr. Inverse asked non-chalantly. "I've been alright. Been travelling around; I've even met one of your daughters on the road! I never imagined that she, of all people, would be your daughter. I didn't even know you were an Inverse. Haha! Small world, uh?" Gourry nervously laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Hm, yes; a small world, it is." he rubbed his chin, and smiled. "Aw, Pumpkin. I'm so glad you're home."

L: Um, actually, we're actually just stopping here for the festival. We're still going to be travelling, Papa.

P: "We?" Who's "we"?

L: You know, Gourry and me.

P: You mean, you and Gourry ... travel together?

L: (blush) Yes, Papa. It's not what you think, if you're thinking what I believe you're thinking right now.

P: (suspicious) Oh, is that right?

L: (whine) Papaaaaa ...

P: (laugh) Of course I believe you, pumpkin; I know you'd beat him to a pulp if he ever tried anything on you. That's how I raised you!

Lina's father patted Lina on her head, while she just looked up at him. "So, I bet you kids are hungry! Come now, let's all have dinner!" Mr. Inverse stated happily, leading the two into the dining room. "OK!" Gourry and Lina cheered, in unison. Fiona followed after them, smiling.

Lina, I'm so glad you came back home. Your father was been restless, lately, wondering where you were and how you are doing. He has even had a few occassions that he would call off work, to take off on a journey to find you; I suppose that's where he met that Gourry boy. He's such a good boy; I wonder how long he has had feelings for Lina. There's no doubt in my mind that Lina feels the same; Lina would always pick on the ones she liked. But, I wonder, if she does have feelings for him, why doesn't she take things further? I have to ask her ... Hmm, ... Gourry's birthday is on the same day we are holding our festival. Maybe then, she can tell him her feelings, and take things from there. Yes, it's the perfect plan! And I'll start it, first thing tomorrow!

Fiona was burning with fire of determination. "Hey, Mama, where's dinner?" Lina voice called from the dining room, sounding almost irritated. "Oh!" she snapped out of her scheming phase, and rushed to the kitchen. She hasn't exactly prepared for dinner yet, but within minutes, thanks to some of her magic, she was able to get dinner near to completion. Fiona popped her head in the dining room, "Don't worry; it'll only be a couple more minutes, OK?" With that, she took one last look at Gourry and Lina. With a gleam in her eyes, she knew she was going to make this work, and might even need Luna's help.

She hummed her way to the kitchen, "Yes. This will work. Even if I have to battle with Ceipheed and Shabragnigdu myself to make it work, nothing will stand in my way!" At that moment, the neighbors could almost swear they heard a thunderclap within the Inverse house.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Phew! That was a doozy! So, now, the plot is realized; Fiona & Luna are going to work together, to get Lina and Gourry together. Sounds simple, uh? NOT! To think, I almost thought this could be a oneshot story! I know it's already been, like, four chapters, and the story hasn't really started, but the Inverses & the festival are very important, & with that, I like to give them specific details. So, the story will probably be a few more chapters, but I expect for it to be all worth it! Anyways, about Luna's waitress outfit: there are only so many Luna images out there, excluding fanart and cosplay (and more random images), that are available in the Web. So, I used one that I found on Slayers Universe, with the bio of Luna Inverse. Then, when I tried to find more images to find more details to her, I Googled it & found one of a girl cosplaying Luna, so I decided to also refer to that image. The fact that she was fuchsia eyes is unknown; I just thought that fuchsia eyes would go great with lavendar hair, & exceptionally great on Luna. Most everyone who knows of Luna may know that she was a tough sister to live with, especially with the fact that she would treat Lina rough, "disciplining" her, & I believe teased her many times over, thus the slug incident. I would like to state that, if Luna hadn't of gotten hold of the slug, she would NOT have beaten Lina up; she merely did it to just tease her, like any "scary" older sister would do. Also, I've added a different side to Luna; one that has been rarely explored, if maybe ever, an affectionate, loving side to her. Lina is her younger sister, and she does love her, even if she teases her day & night. I added a few inside stories that I found on the Web, referring to Luna, like the projectors. The details to that can be found in Slayers Universe (http/ About Luna's restaurant-talk: a little thingy I had to add, myself also employed to a restaurant chain; DON'T WORRY, LUNA! I FEEL YOUR PAIN! Lina's nickname to Luna & Luna's nickname for Lina (Moon-breath & Squirt), in no way connected to the novels, manga or anime; just something I felt would be fun to hear:) I also made a point to mention Luna's pet, Spot. If anyone knows the backstory to this, they made understand the reason WHY he seems to be pouting. For those who have no clue what I'm talking about, let me explain. Luna (either ON her way to work or way BACK from work, I can't remember) sees a stray dog on the street & starts feeding it. I can't remember correctly, but I guess he started following her, her being his own source of food. But, I do know, she does eventually take him in as her pet dog and names him Spot; he'd continually tell her that Spot is not his name, but Dilgear. With that, she stopped feeding him until he accepted Spot as his name, and of course he DOES cave. (If anyone has Slayers NEXT: Phantom City, you'd see for yourself Luna & her pet dog "Spot" on the eyecatch!) If anyone noticed a certain item from Slayers GREAT, you'd be our winner! I just watched it last night, & the idea popped in my head. During the credits, they showed that they had Piko Piko Lina-chan souveneirs for sale, so I figured how about Lina's family been there recently and bought one? That'd be funny! Well, I think that's enough author's notes for today. So now, time to GO TO NEXT! (LOVE that episode to death! ;) ) Ciao, guys!


	5. Here, In My Room

Cookies for Gourry

by AeroGirl7986

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Slayers or any of its characters. Slayers is owned by Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi and some other people. I think that should go without saying, but hey, don't feel like getting sued today!

CHAPTER 5

With a full course meal in front of them, Gourry and Lina wasted no time. They preyed on the side dishes, they pounced on the main entree; in short, they devoured most of the food after the parents could even start. "Raluf-dear, I never ate that way when we were together, did I?" Fiona couldn't help but ask. Raluf said nothing, just staring at the tremendous speed his daughter and her friend they were eating. "GOODNESS TO L-SAMA! HOW DID YOU KIDS LEARN TO EAT THAT FAST? HAVEN'T YOU EVER HEARD OF INDIGESTION!" Raluf, Mr. Inverse, couldn't help but roar at the young pair. Lina just giggled girlishly, stating, "We couldn't help it, Papa. We were SOOOO hungry!" Lina batted her large crimson eyes, knowing that her faher could never stay mad at her for long, as long as she batted her eyes. "Aww, Pumpkin, you know that I can never yell at you when you do that!" Raluf whined, and Lina tilted her head, laughing. Fiona cleared her throat, "So, dearest, how was the business doing today, without me?" she asked non-chalantly. "Oh. Yeah, The store was OK. Some of our regulars stopped in. They didn't see you, so they asked about you. Told them you had the day off. They told me to give you their regards." he informed, stabbing some food on his plate with his fork and inserted it inside his mouth. "Aww, that's sweet of them! I can't believe it's barely been a day, and they already miss me." Fiona sighed. "Maybe because they miss your food that you'd sell there." Raluf stated bluntly. "Hush, dearest." Fiona pouted, sipping her tea.

"Store?" Gourry asked, pausing his eating. "Yep. Fiona and I own a grocery store here." Raluf turned to Gourry, while he nodded, taking in that Lina's parents were both merchants. "So, Luna stopped in today, didn't she? I bet she got quite a surprise today, uh?" her father asked, while patting Lina's head when he was talking about her.

L: You know, Papa, you don't have to do that anymore.

P: Oh? So you can weasel your way out of scoldings by those methods you'd used when you were a girl, but I can't treat you like a little girl anymore? Is that how it is, Pumpkin?

F: Now, now! Don't start an argument, now! Anyways, Luna had to leave early, today, to feed Spot. And, I also remember that tomorrow morning, she's going back to the temple of Ceipheed bright and early. Oh, dearest, remember when we went there for Luna's ceremony for knighthood. She was just a little girl, and yet she was one of the best squires; now, she's an adult, and a full-fledged Knight of Ceipheed! I'm so proud of my two girls! 

G: Eh? Luna is the Knight of Ceipheed? Since when?

L: (slams her head on the table, snarls) Now, look here, Jellyfish Brains! Don't you even remember that letter Filia gave us, when she recruited us for help her, Jellyfish Brains? When Filia was referring to my sister? She said that I was the stand-in, and that she asked someone before me; someone more powerful! She asked Luna because SHE is the Knight of Ceipheed! But then, she said she couldn't do it, because of her job, but also because she was a swordswoman, not a sorceress; so she went to ask me. Got it now, Gourry?

G: Don't think so.

L: ARRRGGGHHHHH! HOW COME SOMEONE BE SO DUMB! H-HEY! KEEP YOUR FORK TO YOUR OWN PLATE! (mumbles) I'm gunna teach you a lesson or two. (starts eating off his plate)

G: OI! STOP EATING MY FOOD, LINA! (starts eating off of her plate)

Soon, the war between their silverware started. Forks jabbing, knives slashing, even spoons defending. This went on until Raluf lost his temper, which was quickly. "YOU TWO, STOP FIGHTING IN MY HOUSE!" he roared at Gourry and Lina, who yelped as they threw their silverware out of their hands. "Now, now, dearest. You shouldn't let your anger get the better of you! You know you get migraines when you get too upset, too quickly." Fiona consoled, as she fanned his face with a spare plate. "Fiona ... ?" he qustioned, as she would usually support him. "I'll explain later." she whispered in his ear, then turned back to the scared duo. "Hehe! Don't worry, Lili, Gourry-hon! He didn't mean anything! Well, since you two pretty much finished your dinner, it's time for your dessert!" Fiona giddily said, looking like she was hiding something from them all. This made Lina suspect that her mother was up to something again. That is, she did, until her very-culinary-savvy mom returned from the kitchen with a large plate of cake, the dragon beard candy from before, and other pastry delicaties she tends to fix oftenly. Gourry and Lina let out a triumphant yell as they both finished the desserts, by themselves. 

Later that night, Lina decided to retire to her room. She raced upstairs to see her old room again, and was stunned to see everything in its exact place, after all these years. She picked up an old doll she used to play with when she was a child, and noticed something. It was clean. Not a single speck of dust was there. Not a dust bunny; nothing. "Mama's definitely been here. A lot." Lina nodded, sighing. Her mother had a strange addiction to cleaning; she doesn't know if she always had, nor has she ever told her. Nevertheless, she still hugged her old doll close to her, reminiscencing her younger days. "Oi, Lina?" a certain male voice called back, from the hallway. Lina suddenly put the doll back, and opened the door. "What?" she asked, leaning her figure against her door frame, using her arm. "I was just wondering, where will I sleep?" Gourry asked, bouncing his index fingers together. "Uh?" Lina blinked, blushing. "Oh, well, we have a spare room down the hall. Or, at least, the last time I was here, we did ... What are you looking at?" Lina noticed that Gourry was no longer looking at her, not past her shoulder, at her room. "Hey, is this your room, Lina?" he asked bluntly. "Yep. And, Mama actually kept everything where I left it. Of course she's been here, 'cause everything's clean. Wanna come look, Jellyfish?" Lina asked, giving him a cheeky smile. Gourry nodded innocently, and Lina moved out of the way for Gourry to enter.

For a room that was housed for Lina, it was really girly. With a white canopy bed in the middle of the room, with long lacy bedsheets, and matching lace throws pillows, with random stuffed animals sitting on the bed. Her window had a view of the neighborhood, with a window sill for birds to perch and peek into her room. Across her bed, she had a bookshelf which was full of books and spellbooks, on the top of shelf was a place where she sat all her remaining dolls and random stuffed animals. Besides her bookshelf was a wooden desk; a place where she's done almost all her homework before, if she didn't feel like being outside. Besides her bed was a stereo-looking appliance and a guitar-looking instrument; something which Lina always turn to when she was a pre-teen, while she listened and even played her own genre of music. Then, when she plopped on her bed, she turned her head and looked at her wardrobe. In it still kept all her Lina's old clothes she used to wear, even her old outfits she wore so often when she was thirteen and fourteen, when she was travelling with Naga.

Gourry sat beside her, on her bed, taking in all her room displayed. "This room really shows another side of you, Lina." Gourry simply stated, holding one of the stuffed animals that were sitting on Lina's bed. Lina looked at his direction, staring at his back, which was covered by his long golden hair. She was in a trance, just staring at how glossy it looked and how his hair seemed like golden silk; it was when she realized what where her thoughts were leading her that she snapped herself out of the trance. "Hm? Do you mean by that, Gourry?" she asked calmly, almost sincerely interested in what his answer was. "Well, you know, for the past three years I've known you, you've never shown any appreciation for stuffed animals, or anything like this; hey, remember when we were travelling for Sandora, and you had dressed up as a girl, and that Volun guy brought us to his ship and I showed you my room he had for me. You said it was the most girliest room you've ever seen. Well, your room looks almost girlier than my room, then. I didn't know you used to be such a ... girl." At this moment, under usual circumstances, she would've fireballed him right then and there, but merely kicked him off her bed, screaming, starting to whack him senseless with one of her stuffed animals, "WHAT DID YOU SAY? Of COURSE I'm a GIRL! LOOK AT ME; I'm TOO BEAUTIFUL to mistaken for ANYTHING ELSE, GOURRY!"

G: STOP IT! I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT!

L: WHAT ELSE COULD IT'VE MEANT, JELLYFISH BRAINS!

G: OI! STOP IT OR YOU'LL MAKE YOUR PARENTS COME UP HERE!

L: I DON'T CARE! 

With that, not wanting Lina's parents to be disrupted from any business they were doing, Gourry took it upon himself to try and stop Lina. Since she was standing over him while he was sitting up from the floor, he grabbed her by her legs, lifted her up so she was off the ground and in his arms, wrapping her legs around him, and dropped her on her bed, with him trapped by the strength of her legs. For what seemed like an eternity, Gourry realized that he was on top of Lina, and her legs were still holding him to her, on they were both on her bed. He lifted his face up to look at her, to see that she was looking back at him, both furiously blushing. When it finally dawned on Gourry what exactly was he doing, he immediately jumped off her and awkwardly hurried out of her room, wishing her a good night, and scurried off to the guest room. Lina just laid there, still not fully convinved what just happened just now was real. Her heart was racing, her breathing was a bit faster than normal, her cheeks are burning, her mind was racing.

Did that really happen? Just now? If it didn't, why do I have these feelings? These feelings ... I can't have these feelings! Not for Gourry! He's my best friend! If something were to happen, something like that, then ... everything would change! I can't have that! He's my first best friend I've ever really had, in my life. If I lose that, ...

Lina had to interrupt her own thoughts before the end of that thought had occur. She jumped out of her bed and walked to her wardrobe. She opened the door, and looked inside of it. All of her clothes, her shoes, her jewelry, her socks, everything was in here. She looked through her clothes and saw a small familiar pink robe and mantle hanging in the wardrobe. She just shook her head, and continued to look through her closet till she found a familiar dress in there. "Wow. Haven't wore this thing since the last harvest festival I was around for! This thing is ages old ... " she said to herself, while holding it to her body in front of the mirror provided behind the wardrobe door. "Hey, I still fit into this thing, too!" she cheered, then put it back in the closet. Then, she found what she was looking for: her white and yellow striped-and-polka dot flannel pajamas. She undressed her yellow bandeau, which she always wore over magneta shirt, then proceeded the remove the yellow undershirt, that she wore over her matching magneta leggings. With that, she slipped into her cozy pajamas, and removed all her jewelry. Sighing, she undid her bed, putting all the stuffed animals at the end of the bed. A knock came to the door. "Gourry?" Lina called back, unsure if the person on the other side was Gourry or not.

"Lili? You ready for bed already?" Fiona popped her head in her room. "Yeah, I'm starting to feel a little tired, so I thought I'd just hit the hay." Lina smiled, pulling back her blankets. "Aww. Good for me, that way I get to tuck you in, just like I've always done!" Fiona smiled, giggling giddily. "Um, ... sure." Lina sweatdropped. "So, Lina, do you think you should Lulu tomorrow at her work, so you two can go and have permission to participate in this spring's festival?" Fiona asked Lina, while she slipped in her bed. "Um, I guess." Lina replied, sitting up on her bed, with the blankets covering her lap. Fiona sat on Lina's bed, sighing. "Lili, I have a question for you: what exactly is your relationship with that boy, Gourry?" she bluntly asked her daughter, who was now blushing a storm. "Um, NOTHING! He's just this guy who keep following me and calls himself my protector and all!" she stated, nervously.

F: Lili, I'm your mother. You can tell me; I'm not like your father. You know I've always been the one who's told you to always trust your gut feeling and follow your heart. I know for a fact that Gourry has a fondness for you, and I can tell that you have one for him.

L: WHAT? He's ... fond of me? ... Wait, WHEN DID YOU TALK TO HIM, MAMA!

F: Those details are not important right now, Lili. What I'm trying to say is that it's apparent he has such affection for you, and I think you should show him that you appreciate it, and not by beating him to a pulp, like you'd usually do.

L: Mamaaaa ...

F: Look, the festival's coming up in a few days, and also, his birthday is soon. Why don't you show him then, hm?

Lina laid down, and Fiona proceeded to tuck her youngest daughter in her bed. "His birthday? Jellyfish never told me about his birthday; I don't even how old he'll be!" Lina said to no one in particular. "Well, I know that it'll be on the same day we're holding this year's festival. I think that'd be an excellent time to do it!" Fiona suggested, while Lina made a questioning look to her mother. "What exactly are you scheming this time, Mama?" Lina bluntly asked her mother, while she simply replied, "I haven't the faintest idea what you talking about, Lili!" with a matter-of-fact tone. Lina made a suspicious eye towards her mother, while she laid on her bed. Fiona uncast the Lighting Spell in her room, and looked back at her daughter. "G'night, Lili." she said, taking a last look at her before shutting her door.

"Night, Mama." Lina replied, and rolled over to her side, knowing very well that her mother was up to something. Well, whatever it is, I can think about it in the morning, Lina reasoned, before she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: WOOHOO! Fifth chapter's done & complete! YAY! I'm so happy! Anyways, onto the sidenotes: Raluf's, Lina's father, may be a little obvious, due to the fact that her hair can be identified as orange; what other cute name could be given, as a pet name, for someone with orangey hair? Hmmm, ... how 'bout PUMPKIN! Also, I thought that nickname might suit her, since she tends to favor her daddy when she find herself in a pinch (she just bats her eyes and he becomes putty in her hands, I like that!)! If anyone has read the novel, you guys might've recognized the pink robe and cape I mentioned in here; yes, I LOVE in-jokes! Back in Lina's younger days, she used to go to the Zephilia Sorcerers' Guild to learn her magic, and was bestowed with a certain color title that, even to this day, makes her cringe. The dress she's referring to, and looks at herself with, is the dress she was the one she wore when she remembered her days in Zephilia, crushing grapes for the harvest festival, from Slayers: the Motion Picture (a.k.a. Slayers Perfect). The fact that her parents own and run a grocery store is something I believe to be true; I remember reading something like this in the second novel, along with the fact that the Guild knows her as Lina the Pink. To those who don't know, Luna IS the Knight of Ceipheed; I did NOT make up that fact for the sake of the story or anything. Another thingy I've added is that most people, including me at one point, believed that Luna was a powerful sorceress, even more powerful than her sister. That is untrue, which I remember reading somewhere that that was why she didn't go to take on DarkStar; Filia probably told the prophecy, & knew that she couldn't do it, because she is a swordswoman and not a sorceress. But don't undermind Luna's skills at the sword, she's probably as good as Gourry is; in fact, she had slice a Dragon Slave using a regular, steel sword! WOW, LUNA! That could probably why Lina's no novice with a sword, hm? Their father's quick temper, I felt, should be added, since I felt I had to show WHO she got that from! Also, the fact that Raluf probably constantly gets in Lina's head to always reject any boy who tried anything funny, though I think Lina reinforces it tenfold, I thought it'd be a nice constrast to show that her mother thinks that Lina should attempt to calm down more often. I don't know how many notice, but Fiona stated that she was the one who always trust her gut & follow her heart; I know this is purely my figment of imagination with a created character, but I believe that that is Lina's main philosophy; I know she also travels around to find herself, but that fact that she hasn't come to stopping tells me that that is exactly what Lina is doing (& also to keep Gourry out of trouble, maybe!) Lina's room, a fine example of Fiona's odd love & addiction of cleaning, is sort of based off my room; I couldn't think of anyone else's room to base it off of, so why not mine? Also, I'd like to add that the stereo-looking thingy & guitar are what Lina used to play with, since I can also picture her as a rock-n-roll kinda girl, like me! Gourry pinning Lina on her bed, ... well, you HAD to see THAT ONE comin'! Anyways, I figured this had to give the story a start, & what better way than an idea that would give me a wide, evil grin? Fiona's talk with Lina, I think, gave this the necessary push; now, what's next is Luna's input on all this! STAY TUNED:D (What? You need bathroom time? ... I really didn't need to know that!) Ciao!


	6. A Heart to Heart with Luna

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Slayers or any of its characters. Slayers is owned by Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi and some other people. I think that should go without saying, but hey, don't feel like getting sued today!

CHAPTER 6

The next morning, Lina woke up to see, outside her window, the sky was starting to color itself from the sun. Lina just rolled over, looking away from her window. It's too early to be awake, she thought, trying to go back to sleep, but only found that she was just lying there idly, with her mind completely wide-awake. She groaned, rollingover so she was facing the window. She saw the morning sky, which she hadn't done for the longest time; maybe for too long ...

She took a deep, frustrated breath as she kicked the blankets off of her. She slowly rised off from her warm bed, and went straight to her closet. She carefully opened the door, and picked through her clothes. She found a familiar yellow turtleneck T-shirt, and smiled, pulling it out. Hey, I remember this shirt. This is before I even met Gourry, and when I was travelling around, with that tag-along, Naga, she reminiscenced, then started shuddering when she started remembering Naga, and especially that laugh of hers.

She took her yellow shirt, her favorite pair of red pants, and new change of unmentionables with her, as she went to the bathroom. A few minutes laters, she stepped out of the bathroom in her change of clothes, which surprisingly still fit. With her pajamas with her, she just tossed them on her bed, rolled up her short sleeves, wrapped her bandana around her head, and found her favorite gold hoop earrings and beaded necklace of turquoise orb beads and two red coral fang-shaped beads which hung on opposite sides. She found a belt she used to use oftenly, and a pair of socks.

Fully changed, she descended down the stairs to the front door. Sitting with her shoulder guards and cape, she saw her sword. She figured she wouldn't need it, but she took it with her anyways. She slipped on her boots, and took a stroll around her neighborhood.

The neighborhood was so quiet, almost silent, with maybe less than a dozen birds chirping in the trees. Lina had missed the peace and quiet her neighborhood had to offer in the early morning, it was then she realized how much she missed it.

She walked until she saw the dead end of the street, and passed into the patch of forest, where she used to go and hide whenever she fled from Luna, her parents' scoldings, or just felt in danger in general, as a child. She stopped in her tracks to find Luna, sitting on a boulder, close to the edge of a cliff, looking down on the suburbs of the city. The breeze caught some of Luna's hair, as it flowed along with the wind; her face was unusually serene, deep in thought, with her legs pulled close to her chest. Her clothes fluttering along in the wind. The tassels kept on the hilt of the sword, which was strapped around her chest, danced around in the wind's direction.

"Luna?"

Luna just turned her head to where Lina was standing, "Hey. What are you doing up so early, Squirt?" Luna asked casually, with a subtle teasing tone in her voice. "I could ask you the same thing, Moon-breath; you never used to be one for early mornings!" Lina pouted, crossing her arms. "Yeah, you're right. Come here; sit with me a while!" Luna urged, patting the space on the boulder, besides her. "Alright." Lina agreed. "Give me your hand." Luna commanded. Lina did so, holding a few suspicions on what Luna had intended to do. Luna plopped in Lina's open palm a oatmeal-raisin cookie, then pulled out another out of her large tote bag she kept beside the boulder, and bit into her cookie. "You put something in this cookie, didn't you?" Lina asked bluntly. "What? Must you always suspect the worst of your elder sister?" Luna asked, continuing to eat her cookie. With that, Luna gave Lina another cookie and threw the first cookie from her hand. "I knew it. I'm on to your ways now, sis! Don't think you can pull a fast on the beautiful sorcery genius, Lina Inverse!" Lina boasted, placing her hand on her chest with a superior look on her face.

"You know, when you go boasting about yourself like that, it only means you're just compensating for something." Luna stated, in a matter-of-fact tone in her voice, as she glared at her younger sister. "What in nine hells is THAT s'pposed to mean?" Lina asked, irritated with Luna's constant use of psychoanalyses. "It means whatever you want it to mean." Luna sighed, laughing softly under her breath. Lina just shurgged her shoulders, and bit into her cookie, watching the sunrise with her siser. "You know, I can't remember the last time we did this ... " Lina said out loud, not really to Luna but also to herself. "You know, Lina, you really haven't changed a bit ... " Luna said, abruptly, after Lina. "You're still as precocious and wild like you always were, growing up. But, I envy you, you know." Lina turned to Luna, in shock, when she heard her say that statement. Did she really ... envy her? "You're so free; you can do whatever you want, whenever you want to, even love whoever you want. I can never be that way, not so long as I'm the Knight of Ceipheed. But, at the same time, I don't want to stop being the Knight; it gives me a sense of power and, call me crazy, but ... it almost gives me a sense of purpose." Luna said, with a soft, honest voice. Lina couldn't help but whisper back, "Luna ..." and leaned her head on her older sister's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left home, but after I did those projections of you, taking your bath, ... when you beaten me up that day, I was so scared you were actually going to kill me. Then, I remember you telling me to go and see the world ... I never wanted to disappoint you, even though I've feared you so long, and I've always felt like I've been living in your shadow; so, I wanted to do it. I wanted to go and see the world, so I could become a wise adult. Just like you, Luna ... " Lina explained, finally telling her sister all that she felt for years. Luna put her arm around Lina's shoulder, "I know I've never been a sister who'd give you hugs and kisses, like Mama has, and that I've always been a scary and strict-kind of sister; but know that I love you, and I've missed you a lot since you were gone, ... Dragon Spooker." Luna said, in a soothing voice, then started giggling at her sister's alternative name. Lina just smiled, laughing at that name that oftenly was tied to her name. With that, Luna started stroking her hair.

"So, about that guy from yesterday, that Gourry-guy or whatever, ... who is he, really?" Luna asked, looking down at her redheaded sister. "He told you; he's my protector." she said in a very matter-of-fact voice, making a pouting face on Luna's shoulder. "Lina, c'mon. This is your sister you're talking to, not Mama or Papa. You and I both know that you do NOT need a protector. I know there's another reason. Tell me." Luna demanded. Lina, not really wanting to get threatened soon, complied. "Fine; he has the Sword of Light; at least, he used to. When we first started travelling together, I was just with him so I could get the Sword of Light from him -- " "Wait a minute, isn't it gone? I forgot how, but I heard that the Sword of Light is no longer here in our world!" Luna abruptly interrupted; Lina was now wondering if Luna has been keeping track of her for some years. "Where did you hear that? Well, ... yeah, it's true, nonetheless. Gourry lost it in the Sea of Chaos, for me ... " Lina said, looking down, melancholily. "What do you mean?" Luna asked. "When I casted the Giga Slave for Hellmaster Phibrizo, the Lord of Nightmares took over her body, and I guess Gourry came after me." Lina explained.

Lu: WHAT? You mean he went to the Sea of Chaos, for you!

Li: I think so. I can't really remember.

Lu: So, you casted the Giga Slave? The reason for this must have been pretty high; why did you do it?

Li: I did it ... (blush) to save Gourry.

With that, there was an awkward silence, with Luna just glaring down at Lina with a certain look. " ... What?" was all Lina could ask. "So, this Gourry's is no one, yet you used the Giga Slave to save him, and then, he goes, and tops it all off, by him saving you by following down THE Creator of Everything, in the Sea of Chaos? ... Have you ever been honest with yourself, EVER?" That was all Luna needed to say. Lina knew where she was going with this.

"The truth is, yes, I do have feelings for him. Whether he has them for me, I really don't know sometimes ... But, I do know the consequences if I ever tell him my feelings." Lina said to Luna, with a tragic tone of voice. "What's that?" Luna asked, rubbing Lina's shoulder. "Our friendship, for one; sure, he's not just my protector, but he's my friend. If I were to go and tell me that I love him, that'd completely change things between us, and I don't want that. He might even want us to get married, but I'm not really for that; I still want to steal from bandits, see the world, eat all the food there is to be eaten, and all that. I'm just not ready to settle down! Another reason is because I'm afraid of it; love, that is. Love is something I've never really understood; hitting and physical abuse is something I can deal with; but love, affection, all that, just signs of weakness. Then, there's that huge possibilty that he still just sees me a kid; did you know that's how we met? I was on my way to Atlas City, and some bandits ambushed me, and he comes along, saves me, and offers to take me to Atlas City in place of a guardian! How dumb can he? I mean, I'm Lina Inverse: Bandit Killer, Dragon Spooker, Enemy To All Who Live, you name it, that's me! On top of that, he constantly rubs in the fact that I'm flat-chested; what kind of romancer does that? Then, the biggest problem of all: my reputation; you have no idea how much this could affect it! People will think that I've weaken, and I won't be feared of anymore, or those fortune-seeking people might use him as a lure for me, or worse, he could actually get hurt because of me ... I don't want that. I can't have that, Luna!" Lina sobbed. She was actually crying, just thinking of all the horrid possibilites that could happen to Gourry if admitting her feelings were to happen.

"But, what if ... things weren't to happen that way? What if you two live happily ever after?" Luna asked, trying to make Lina think of the positive outcome of it.

"You know I don't believe in happily-ever-afters, Luna." Lina replied.

"Look, Lina, don't give up on your love because of your fears, Lina; it's the worst." Luna urged. Lina tried to shut Luna out now, until she felt a small drop of liquid fall on top of her head. "Luna ... ?" Lina whispered in concern, looking up at her elder sister, who was crying. "Just promise me something, Lina: Don't reject him just because you're afraid of what's to become. It may seem scary, but in the end, it'll all be worth. I just wish I could've known that sooner. Don't make the same mistake I made. You'll just regret it for the rest of your life ... " After hearing what Luna said, Lina took her sister's advice to heart.

"Lina, promise me." Luna commanded, with a firm voice. Lina, unable to speak, just nodded. "Thank you," Lina said softly. Luna blinked, "For what?" Luna asked, wiping her tears. "For having this talk with me. I guess I needed this reality check from you for some time now. Mama tried talking about this with me last night, but I didn't really listen to her. So, thank you ..." Lina smiled, hugging her sister. Luna started rubbing her back, and looked up at the sky. Soft snoring sounds were heard in a short while, and Luna looked down to see her sister, asleep, with her small arms stil around her. Luna just smiled serenely at her, unstrapped her sword then substituted her strap for a sword-belt, managed to get Lina on her back, and took Lina back to the Inverses' house. She bounced once to make sure she had her, then walked out of the forest, with Lina still asleep on her back. "Hehe! Mama was really on the ball this time; I never thought my baby sister would feel THIS strongly for someone else. Now I'm glad I got to help Mama out with this one." Luna said to herself, reminscencing on last night's events.

"Lulu?" Fiona was in front of Luna's door of her house, while Luna, who was getting ready for bed, was holding the door open, glancing at her mother. "Mama, what are you doing here? It's late." Luna asked, running her fingers through her lavendar-colored hair. "I need your assistance on something, Lulu," Fiona stated, while walking inside her daughter's house. Spot ran up to Fiona, and jumped on her legs, happily barking. "Aww! Hi there, Spot-dear! I'm sorry, dear, but I didn't bring any treats with me tonight, but I will tomorrow, OK?" Fiona said, smiling and ruffling Spot's floppy ears. With that, Spot ran back to where he was previously, and Fiona looked back at Luna. "What do you need my help with?" Luna asked, hands on her hips. "It's about Lili and that boy, Gourry. I need you to help her realize her feelings for him. I tried reaching out to her tonight, but I don't think that I get this to work, alone. So, Lulu, will you help me?" Fiona asked, with an equally firm voice Luna was speaking to her with. "Why my help? Why not have Papa help out?" Luna asked, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Because, Lulu, your father seems to think that Lili is unable to find anyone worthy of her heart. I do agree with him, to an extent, and I believe this Gourry is definitely worthy of our dear Lili. And, another reason I want you to help is because I know Lili will always listen to you. She may fear you, but she will always listen, nevertheless. Please say you will help, Lulu. Think of your sister's happiness. I know that she would do the same for you, if she only knew." Fiona said, her eyes shut in a depressed state. Luna reacted, making her hand into a fist. "Alright. I'll do it, Mama." she said, and Fiona smiled. "Thank you, Lulu. I've also brought you some tea, if you'd like some." Fiona said, pulling ut her thermos. "You could leave it here and I'll return it tomorrow morning." Luna smiled back. Fiona placed the thermos on her table, and walked to the front door. "Good night, Lulu. Sweet dreams." she said, shutting the door behind her. "Night, Mama." Luna replied back, now left with the thoughts of her and her former love, and Lina's situation. Spot came over to her side, as she looked outside her window, and she just scratched his head as she looked at the night scenery.

The day was still dawning when she arrived to the house. Luna reached into her pocket, still trying to hold up Lina, and pulled out a key to the lock. She stepped in the house, shutting the door behind her. She climbed up the stairs, carefully opened her sister's door to her room. She laid her in her bed, took off her boots and jewelry, set the jewelry by the bed and the boots on the floor, and pulled her blanket over her sleeping form. Then, she proceeded to remove her bandana from her head and places it beside her jewelry, then stroked her face, smiling down at her. "Somedays, it seems like only yesterday you've been gone, and somedays when it seems like a hundred years since I've last seen you, Squirt." Luna simply said to Lina while she slept. She ruffled her red hair, then took her boots with her as she walked off. 

"Lina?" a young male's voice called out. Luna turned her head towards the voice, and found herself in front of Gourry, still in his pajamas. "Oh, you're that Gourry fellow, aren't you?" Luna asked, still trying to memorize him. "Yeah; you're Lina's sister, Luna, right?" Gourry asked. "You'd be right! Gourry, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about, since the first time we've been introduced. My sister ... you love her, do you not?" she asked, looking at him straight in the eyes. Gourry flushed. "Um, ... well, ... that is, ... I mean, ... " Gourry stammered, trying to find the right words. "That's exactly what I thought. Well, I need you to do something for me, but also for her: please, at the festival, tell her how you feel about her; that you love her. And, I'll tell you, being her sister, I will tell you, what you feel for her, goes double how she feels for you." Luna said, her index finger thrust in his direction. "Lina ... feels for me?" Gourry asked, basically speechless. Luna just nodded. Gourry couldn't help but blush some more right now. "Oh, and the festival being on your birthday, you just might be getting a surprise real soon." Luna said, just before she went downstairs. Gourry couldn't say anything more, but a farewell, as he was left with that relishing thought of Lina actually having feelings for him; someone who, for the past three years, rarely showed any sign of affection towards him. He just smiled at that thought, and peeked into her room, to find her fast asleep.

He couldn't help but enter her room, just to watch her as she slept. She looked so peaceful; just looking at her as she sleeps, you could never guess that this girl was the infamous and feared Bandit Killer, Dragon Spooker, and Enemy To All Who Lives. He brushed her fiery red hair off her face, and he just smiled down at her. Ignoring all risks that this action involved, he leaned down and gave her a kiss on her cheek. With that, she just smiled in her sleep, and sighed, "Gourry ... " Gourry, shocked that Lina was dreaming about him, decided now should be the moment to leave her to her slumber, and go back to his room to think about what kind of surprise could Lina have for him on his birthday.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: PHEW! I actually found a way to wrap up this chapter; I'm so HAPPY! (does a little jig) Anyways, onto the notes: yes, yes, yes; I realize there is major out-of-characterness in this installment, but you know? THIS IS MY STORY, & I'M KINDA LIKE IT THIS WAY! You know, maybe just to bust y'all's chops, I think I'll make Lina soft-spoken & call Gourry "Gourry-darling" from now on ... JUST KIDDING! Anyways, I felt that this Lina & Luna moment has always needed to be done, and if I'm meant to be the one to instigate it, then I won't waste the opportunity! Anyways, I don't think it's fair to portray Luna as this horrid-evil older sister forever, because she is also a person, with many constracting traits to her, like Lina. Also, originally, I intended to have a subplot, with an original character to play the role of Luna's love/former love, but decided just to stick with the Gourry/Lina plot, and just give the idea of Luna's love without giving specific details (& he was an archer, just for you people who're curious!). So, Spot makes his actual cameo here! For you people who's never seen Spot before, he's basically a sky blue-colored dog-thing, with a bushy tail, with ears that could be considered floppy since he doesn't have them pointing up, and gloved paws (Spoiler: HE'S DILGEAR!) Anyways, I REALLY went in deep, with Luna & Lina, but I think it was necessary: Luna telling Lina how she wished she was as free as her, and Lina admitting that she felt that she lived under her shadow for a good number of years. By the way, for those of you who got confused, there IS a flashback sequence in this chapter, when Luna thinks back on what happened a few hours prior to her heart-to-heart with Lina. Gourry's birthday surprise ... I don't know what it could be, what do you all think it could be? Hmmmm, ... (pulls out pipe, & blows bubbles out of it, rubbing my chin) Anyways, for those of you who noticed, YES, I did use Lina's OVA ensemble as her attire she wore when she has her talk with Luna; the jewelry, not exactly what was in the OVA, but I saw it on her on one of my G/L images, which featured Lina, in the outfit described, dangling a piece of some kind of pastry (don't know the name of the food) in front of a hungry super-deformed Gourry! It's a very cute pic, & recommend all Gourrina fans to go & save it & use it as their wallpapers or something:) Originally, I intended for Lina & Luna to have a little swordplay, "for old time's sake," where they'd both have a practice duel, to show as proof that Lina learned her skills with the sword from Luna; however, in all honesty, I completely forgot about that concept, and just had Lina fall asleep on Luna to wrap up the discussion between them. Luna's clothes, if anyone wondered WHY I didn't go into detail about them, I felt was really unnecessary, and also, I couldn't really decide if she was to be in pajamas or some kind of casual wear (what I had in my mind was a white thin-stapped tank top with moss-green super low-rise cargo pants, with some pair of boots, with her sword strap across her chest!). Well, these notes aren't nearly as long as others, but I think that's about enough. So, please read the next installment & enjoy:D


	7. Baking Lessons & Reunions

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Slayers or any of its characters. Slayers is owned by Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi and some other people. I think that should go without saying, but hey, don't feel like getting sued today!

CHAPTER 7

Lina was tapping her foot, waiting her mother to finish bringing out all her cookware. "Mama, isn't THIS enough!" Lina was really growing impatient. First, her mother wakes her up, makes her think that she needs to learn how to bake, and insists her to wear this silly apron. Dear gods, what is she going to make me do next? Lina thought, almost dreading what her mother had in store. "OK! Everything's ready!" Fiona called out, smiling ear-to-ear. "'Bout time! What's the meaning of all this, anyways, Mama?" Lina asked, still irritated with the fact she had to wear the apron, which read Kiss the Cook, with a large heart, over her Zephilia clothes. "Because, I know how upset you get when you get food on yourself; and today, we're going to be solely concentrating on this, since we have the weekend off, for the festival. Anyways, ... that apron looks cute on you!" Fiona winked, only frustrating her daughter now. "THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT! I mean, why do I have to learn how to bake? What's the point on that?" Lina asked. "With Gourry's birthday coming up, don't you want to do something special for him?" Fiona simply said, knowing that that was all to answer her daughter's question. "I ... I guess." Lina said, now willing to go along with her mother. "Good girl," Fiona kissed her forehead. "Now, let's get started, huh?"

"So, what are we making, Mama?" Lina asked, as she peeked into the cookbook her mother was flipping through. "YOU are going to make the cake, and I'M going to watch," Fiona simply stated, still looking through the cake recipes. "EH!" Lina squeaked. "Don't worry, Lili! I'll be here if you need any help; I just want you to learn how to bake a cake by yourself." Fiona explained. Lina still felt a bit nervous, thinking of baking a cake, and to bake it by herself, no less. "So, do you know of anything Gourry might like?" Fiona asked, still flipping through the cookbook. "Hmm, ... I know that he likes his fish gutted, and he usually favors the color, blue ... " Lina pondered, looking over her mother's shoulder. Then, she saw a cake that caught her eye, and also made her mouth water. "Hey, what's this one? He might like it!" Lina said, looking at the picture of the cake. The cake was yellow-frosted chocolate cake, with whole strawberries made into a cirle. "Jamaican Rum & Chocolate Cake ... are you sure, or are you just looking at the picture?" Fiona asked, giving her daughter a suspicious eye. "Picture." Lina sulked. Fiona patted her head, "Don't worry. We'll find a cake for him, you'll see. Look, here; this looks like a good one: Jamocha-Almond Fudge Cake. Let's try that one, OK?" Fiona asked, consoling her depressed redheaded daughter. "Alright," Lina agreed, smiling at her supportive mother.

"AAAHHHH! MAMA, IT'S GUNNA GET THE WHOLE HOUSE ON FIRE! DO SOMETHING!" Lina shouted to her mother, as she tried to blow out the fire that was burning her burnt-crisp, and incredibly flat, cake. "THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! WE'VE JUST WENT THROUGH FIVE CAKES, ALREADY! AQUA CREATE!" Fiona cried out, then a small waterfall fell on the scalded-black cake. "(Phew!) Thanks, Mama." Lina smiled sheepishly. Fiona just sighed, looking at the mess created by the recent mayhem. "I guess teaching you how to bake a cake is close to impossible," she said, rubbing her temples, "Under normal circumstances, I'd have a field day, cleaning all this mess to my heart's content, but we only have til tomorrow to teach you how to bake!" Fiona sighed. Lina growled, feeling more and more frustrated by the second. "ARGH! LET'S FACE FACTS, MAMA! I can't bake, I can't make Gourry his birthday cake, and I CAN'T BAKE!" Lina wailed, barely on the brink of just losing it. With all the stress piling up on her, she was about ready to let loose a Fireball on anything. "Now, now! It's not as bad as it looks, ... OK, maybe it is; but, look, maybe we don't need to bake him a cake! How 'bout ... cupcakes? Or maybe some truffles? Or ... cookies!" Fiona finally came to a solution. "Cookies? It might work. Maybe chocolate-chip cookies?" Lina suggested, pointing at the picture. "Sounds lika an idea. Or maybe these?" Fiona suggested, pointing at the picture on the opposite. Now was when Lina started to drool uncontrollably on the cookbook. "LILI!" Fiona yelped, glaring at her daughter. "What?" Lina asked, wiping her lips. "What 'bout these?" Lina asked, pointing at another picture in the cookbook. "Hmm, ... Shortbread Cookies? The recipes looks simple enough; I don't see why not!" Fiona smiled. "ALRIGHT! Now, I'm gunna bake Gourry the best shortbread cookies he's ever had in his life!" Lina cheered, getting back her lacked enthusiasm.

About twenty minutes later, Lina's cookies were ready. They were piping-hot and all the cookies had a light golden color to them. "Wow! They look so good ... " Lina trailed off, licking her lips, just staring at her cookies. "No, Lili; no eating the cookies! We need to wait some minutes for it to cool, or else you'll just end up burning your mouth!" Fiona scolded, knowing her daughter was probably thinking only of eating all the cookies herself. "Ahhh, Mama ... I wanna cookie!" Lina whined, "C'mon! Cookie, cookie, cookie!" Lina sang, with a kitten look on her face. "No; not until they've cooled down for, at least, five minutes." Fiona said firmly, glaring at Lina. Lina groaned, just wanting the five minutes to be over with. "ARGHHH! I DON'T CARE ANYTIME! I WANNA EAT THE COOKIE!" Lina shouted, grabbing one of the cookies and shoving it in her mouth. "HOT!" she cried, chewing the cookie. "DIDN'T I JUST FINISH TELLING YOU THAT!" Fiona shouted back, showing her sharp tooth. After the cookie was thoroughly chewed, and it cooled down, Lina was able to taste the buttery flavor of the cookie, and swallowed it down. Fiona stared at Lina, waiting an answer. "They're good!" Lina cheered, so happy and proud of herself. Fiona smiled, "I knew you could do it, Lili!" She patted her happy daughter's head, while Lina just giggled. "Now, you can have these cookies for yourself. But, tomorrow, let's make a fresh batch, OK?" Fiona suggested, stroking Lina's hair. "OK. Except the recipe doesn't call for enough cookies; we're going to need to triple it!" Lina exclaimed, lifting up three fingers. "TRIPLE! YOU MEAN HE EATS AS MUCH AS YOU!" Fiona was completely shocked at the amount of cookies that was going to fill the kitchen. "Yeah, you can say that!" Lina sheepishly smiled, removing her apron. "I don't think that'll be necessary. The recipes makes a maximum of dozen cookies; I think that should be enough, especially since you can't give him three-dozen cookies in a hanky!" Fiona reasoned with her daughter. "I guess you're right. I can't wait for the festival, Mama!" Lina was feeling so giddily right now, just thinking of the look on Gourry's face when he eats her super-delicious cookies. "I know, Lili; me neither." Fiona blurted, then changed the subject quickly by rushing Lina out of the kitchen, with her cookies, so she could start cleaning the kitchen.

Lina made her way out of the kitchen, when she spotted Gourry outside. She hid her cookies, and went up to him. She opened the sliding door. "Heya, Gourry!" she called, cheerfully. " 'Afternoon, sunshine!" he replied, smiling up at her, while he was sitting, leaning on his arms, looking at the scenery of their backyard. "Whatcha doing here?" she asked, crouching down, so she was eye-level with Gourry. "I dunno. I was wondering around the house, and saw that you guys have a backyard, and thought I'd hang out here for a while." he explained, slightly blushing at the information Luna gave him this morning. :What you feel for her, goes double for how she feels for you.: he flashbacked, still blushing. Lina cocked an eyebrow, "You alright, Jellyfish? How long have you been out here; maybe you should get out of the sun, now. You're starting to get a sunburn!" Lina suggested, pointing out the fact that Gourry was starting to blush more when Lina mentioned his blushing. "Hahaha! Don't worry 'bout me! I'm OK, Lina! Really!" Gourry jittered, waving his hands in front of her. "Whatever ... hey, wanna get out of here for a while?" Lina suggested, coming closer to Gourry. "Um, sure." he answered Lina, his blush still heavy on his cheeks.

Gourry and Lina made their way through the marketplace. Gourry noticed some businesses were still open, while a lot of others were closed. "Oi Lina, why are some open, and a lot are closed?" he asked. "Well, I guess because of the festival. Mama and Papa are having the weekend off, since they make a very good business, but I guess the smaller businesses, that don't make a lot, have no choice but to still be in business, even during the festival." Lina explained, looking up at Gourry. "Wow, sounds harsh!" Gourry commented, "Well, business is hard. Gotta do what ya gotta do." Lina noted, waving her finger. "Hey, look at that, Lina! This one sells fireworks! I haven't played with those since I was a kid!" Gourry awed. "I didn't know you played with fireworks, Gourry ... " Lina said, blinking at the thought of a little Gourry lighting a firework, and having it blow up on his face. "Yeah. They were awesome!" Gourry smiled. Gourry went up to the stand, and looked through the cart of fireworks. "Hey, these look cool ... Hey! Yeah, these were my favorite, growing up ... I remember playing with ones, too! ... Wow! I can't believe how many they have here! ... Hey Lina, do you know how much these might cost?" Gourry asked, after taking his trip down Memory Lane, with all the fireworks for sale. "Do I look like I'd know, Jellyfish? Hey, excuse me, miss! How much do these cost?" Lina called out to the saleswoman, who was busy wiping the inventory of fireworks. "Welcome, how may I help y -- As I live and breathe! Is that you, Lina?" the saleswoman cried.

A aquamarine-haired girl, close to Lina's age and height, with long pigtails, and short bangs parted down the middle, and violet eyes, with a pink dress with white apron, stood in shock. "Sharon? Is that you? Hey, when did you get back from Seyruun?" Lina asked, instantly recognizing the girl in question. "Lina, it is you! When I started hearing the rumors about you, it only proved what I've told you for many years: you're going to do bigger and greater things than any of us in the Guild." the girl, Sharon, gushed. "Hey Lina, who's she?" Gourry bluntly asked, scratching his head. "Oh, right! Sharon, this is Gourry, my travelling partner. Gourry, this is Sharon. We were in the same classes, back in the Guild, and was my best friend, growing up, til she had to move to Seyruun!" she explained. "Ooh ... say, Sharon, how much are for the fireworks?" Gourry asked, non-chalantly. "Oh, don't worry about the cost! I'll tell Daddy that they were stolen! No cost could cover the fact that I just saw my best friend, after all these years!" Sharon smiled, giving Gourry all the fireworks he needed. "Wow, that's really nice of you! Thanks, Sharon!" Gourry smiled, taking the fireworks. "Are you sure, Sharon? Your father can be pretty scary." Lina asked her old friend. "Don't worry! I just bat my big pretty eyes, and he instantly forgets what he was mad at her for!" Sharon smiled at Lina, while she double-taked. "You know, I know I taught you that trick when we were kids, but I don't think that that'll be enough." Lina said. "Don't worry about me, really! I'll be fine; anyways, meet ya at the festival! We got a lot of work to do!" Sharon cheered, going back to wiping the fireworks. "O-kay ... See you at the festival. Bye!" Lina waved, walking out with Gourry.

Gourry, with his full filled with fireworks, asked, "Oi, where are we going now?" "I thought we could pay a quick visit to the Flute Glass. I haven't been there in ages!" Lina replied. "Waitaminute, isn't the Flute Glass where her sister works? Aren't you scared of her?" Gourry asked, scratching his head. "Nah, not anymore. We've made up, and turns out I was just getting myself worked up over nothing!" Lina smiled to Gourry. "Ah! There it is! The Flute Glass!" Lina pointed.

They stepped inside the restaurant, and the hostess quickly greeted them. "Hi! Welcome to the Flute Glass; how many for today?" she asked, grabbing two pairs of menus and silverwares. "No, thank you. We'll just stop at the bar!" Lina said, pointing to the bar's direction. "Oh! Alright, then!" the hostess smiled, then looked at Gourry's overstocked bags. "Excuse me, sir, but did you want a bag for those?" the hostess asked politely. "Um, sure! That'd be great, thanks!" Gourry replied. The hostess quickly pulled out a bag that was large enough for all the fireworks. "Say, could you tell Luna Inverse that her sister will be at the bar?" Lina asked the hostess, grabbing Gourry's arm. He started to blush, just slightly, again. "Sure!" the hostess nodded. "Thanks!" Lina smiled, then started pulling on Gourry to move towards the bar. 

Lina was about ready to pull out her bar chair, when Gourry was pulling it out for her. "Hey! Thanks, Gourry!" she smiled. He smiled back, then the bartender came to greet them. "Welcome to th -- Lina? Is that you?" the bartender asked, in a state of shock. Lina looked up at him. "Hey, Hummus! How's it been? Missed me much?" Lina smirked, obviously fairly acquintated with him since her last five years of absence. "Well, well, well, Little Thumbel-Lina has finally come home! Our best customer, and yet, our worst waitress ever! Took long enough! How have you been? Where in nine hells have you been hiding all these years?" the bartender asked, wiping a wine glass. "Ah, I've been here and there! I'm just here for the festival; I've really missed you guys, after all these years! ... Oh, I need to introduce you to someone; Hummus, this is Gourry, my travelling partner! Gourry, this is Hummus! Before I ran away from here, I used to stop in here a lot while Luna worked her shift; eventually even I worked here for a really short time, 'cause I kept eating the food and snapping at the customers!" Lina explained, scratching the back of her head and laughing. "Yeah, you should've seen this one six-top she had once; she was so close to Fireballing them all! I have to admit, it was hilarious to see her get that upset!" Hummus smiled to Gourry, letting him in on another piece of her past. "Wow! I didn't know you really were a waitress, Lina!" Gourry said, "Yeah. Well, ... " Lina trailed off. "So, is Luna at a table right now?" Lina asked, quickly changing the subject. "Nah, she just finished her shift. I still can't get over how can two sisters, from the same parents, be so extremely different!" Hummus said. "Yeah, that's what everyone, who's met us both, say ... " Lina said, looking down. "Aw, you're not upset about that, are you, Thumbel-Lina? I think it's a good thing! Especially because you're like the other side of Luna that she doesn't have!" Hummus ruffled her hair, which she just squeaked. "Anyways, better get to my other customers now; well, stop in here again soon, Thumbel-Lina! Nice meeting you, Gourry!" Hummus waved. Gourry and Lina waved back, then he looked at her while she just looked off. "What's wrong, Lina?" he asked. "Nothing, Jellyfish. ... I just wished that wasn't the first thing everyone notices when they see us, is all." Lina trailed off, in deep thought. "Cheer up, Lina." he put his arm around her. "I've met you both, and you guys seem alike to me!" he tried comforting her, in which she just punched him in his face, stating, "Of course you do. Everyone seems the same to only you, Jellyfish." "Not true! I know you and Amelia are not the same! I know that you and Zelgadis are not the same! But you and Luna are more alike than you think! Sure, she's taller, and she's not as flat as you, and has her hair in her eyes, and all that ... but, you both have tempers that could take on a dragon, bare-handed, and you both're waitresses, and ... " Gourry tried to think of more similarities between Lina and Luna, which made Lina feel better, despite she wanted to kill him a few seconds ago. "OK, Jellyfish. I get the idea; you don't need to try anymore." Lina smiled, patting his back.

"Lina! Gourry! What are you two doing here?" Luna asked, fully changed from her waitress clothes. She was wearing a long white dress, that started from her neck to her knees, with a red sash around her neck, and bangle bracelets, with brown anklestrap heels. "Hey Luna! Just thought we'd drop by and give you a surprise visit!" Lina said, waving to her. "Well, you did give me a surprise, alright! So, I've thought 'bout it, and I've decided: we're both gunna participate in this year's festival, and you're gunna go grape-crushing with me!" Luna said, with a no-nonsense smirk on her face. "WHAT? Me, grape-crushing? I haven't done that in years; no way they'll let me!" Lina yelped. "Oh, they will; especially if it means that they'll meet the wrong side of my blade!" Luna winked. Lina just sighed, knowing that there's no way of talking her way out of this. "Alright, Luna. I'll do it; but, we better be together on this, or else I will Dragon Slave you!" Lina remarked, pointing her finger at Luna's face. "Fine, fine. I promise, Squirt. So, c'mon! Let's get out of here!" Luna said, motioning for the two to come along.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Alright! Got that chapter done with; now, next chapter: THE FESTIVAL! Dude, I can't believe how long this story has expanded; I seriously intended to be a oneshot, but look how well that would've turned out! Anyways, on to the commentary! Alright, the segment with Lina baking: First off, let me state that there should be NO records of a Jamaican Rum & Chocolate Cake, because I created the image of that cake off the top of my head; if there is one in existence, that'd be a REALLY creep coincedence! The recipe for the shortbread cookies I got for this is available at the URL: http/cookie. Whether Lina can really bake or not, I don't think I've heard any kind of hintings from either novel, manga or anime. And, if anyone mentioned, Fiona's addiction to cleaning is mentioned! Yay; I'm so proud I found a way to sneak it in:D The scene with Lina telling Gourry that he has a sunburn pays some homage to a scene done in Oh My Goddess, when Keiichi thinks of professing his love to Belldandy, & is blushing, Bell interrupts his train of thought by telling him that he has a sunburn! Didn't mean to steal that scene; I just thought it'd be a sweet moment to put in, & seemed kinda appropiate! Gourry's thing with fireworks: with the 4th of July coming up, I just HAD to add that! The reason WHY fireworks is not just 'cuz of the 4th, but because (in Slayers Perfect) Naga has an unsurpassing knowledge of hot springs, & usually she's noted for not being the brightest person in the world; so, if Naga has a thing for hot springs, why can't Gourry have a thing for fireworks? Also, I don't know if anyone (especially people familiar with Lost Universe) noticed, I've added cameo of a new character, Canal, who I've decided to call Sharon (could be considered an original character?)! I didn't feel it'd be right to let it be known that she's Canal, 'cuz then it might give the impression that this is a Slayers/Lost Universe crossover, & it's TOTALLY unintended! The bit with Gourry & Lina dropping by the Flute Glass; I felt it'd be fun to show, and to show to Gourry that Lina no longer fears her sister! The bartender, who commented that Lina once worked there before: I thought it'd be pretty mind-blowing to think Lina was once employed in the same restaurant her sister works at, so I just HAD to add that! Lina & Hummus's restaurant-talk: just HAD to add that in, working at a restaurant myself; friendly reminder: ALWAYS generously add your waitresses & Carside To-Go people: it's all about KARMA! LOL! Oh, and Luna's dress wore in this chapter was seen on her, in Slayers Special vol. 3, in "To Catch a Thief!" So, now, next time, Lina & Luna'll be at the festival, crushing grapes together, and Gourry & the Inverse (+ Spot!) enjoying themselves at the festival, also! Stay tuned; don't go anywhere, PLEASE! Ciao


	8. FESTIVAL!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Slayers or any of its characters. Slayers is owned by Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi and some other people. I think that should go without saying, but hey, don't feel like getting sued today!

CHAPTER 8

"Um, you know, this ain't gonna fit, Moon-Breath ... " Lina groaned, holding up a Zephilia dress she hasn't used in years; last time she has ever used this particular dress was during the Harvest Festival. Both Luna and her were sitting outside together, while Gourry and the Inverses were lighting up a few fireworks. "Pipe down, Squirt. You won't be wearing that; you'll be wearing this!" Luna stated proudly, holding up a red festival dress that caught Lina's eye. "Well, this is more like it! This does looks better." Lina said, sitting by Luna, holding onto the dress. "I thought you'd like it," Luna patted her back, "Believe it or not, but we do tend to update things since the past five years or so." she teased, smirking at her little sister. "Shut up, you." Lina groaned, glaring at her older sister. "Well, get ready for getting purple feet. Tomorrow is the big day! You excited?" Luna asked, stretching her arms behind her head. "Yeah, I guess you could say that ... "Lina said, trailing off. "So, I heard that Gourry's birthday is on the same day as the festival. You gonna do anything special for him?" Luna asked, non-chalantly. "Yeah. I tried to bake him a cake, but we decided to settle on cookies." she replied. "Oooh, baking for him, hm? Well, even if they taste bad, I bet he'd eat 'em anyways." she said, with such a matter-of-fact tone to her voice. "Oh? What makes you say that?" Lina asked, looking up at her sister. "Oh, nothing. Just that he'd probably do something like that for you." Luna replied, looking off to the side. Lina cocked an eyebrow at her, then just shrugged it off. "Hey, what are you girls doing over there? Come here and light a few fireworks with us! It's fun!" Raluf yelled at the sisters, interrupting their discussion. "Oh, nothing, Papa! Just girl talk, is all!" Lina yelled back, and with that, Luna stood up. "Well, I guess I should be heading back home. Spot is probably starving. Bye, Mama! Bye, Papa! Bye, Gourry! See you at the festival!" Luna waved back at everyone, as they waved back. "I never knew fireworks were so much fun!" Fiona squealed, while Raluf lit another. "Oi Lina, come light a firework!" Gourry called out. "OK!" she called back, jumping off the deck to Gourry's side.

That night, she retired to her bed, lazingly plopping right smack in the middle of it. "Aahhh, Mama really outdid herself tonight. I'm so full ... " Lina sighed, rubbing her rounded belly. Two knocks came to her door at that moment. Lina, unable to move, just turned herhead towards the door, replying, "Come in." "Hey, Lina?" Gourry poked his head in her room. "Gourry, what're you doing here?" she asked, sitting up on her elbows. "Well, I guess I came here to ask you if you wanted to go to the festival with me." Gourry admitted. Lina was a bit taken back by this; Gourry asking her to go with him to the festival? Like a ... DATE? Lina started to blush. "Um, sure, I guess. You DO know that I'll be participating in it, with the grape-crushing, right?" she asked, with a questioning look on her face. "Really? That sounds like fun! Hey, do you think I could do it, too?" Gourry asked innocently, pointing at himself. "Sorry, Jellyfish. Girls only! Unless ... you really want to ... " Lina had a dangerous tone in her voice, one that scared the daylights out of Gourry sometimes. He immediately turned down the offer, of course. "NONONONO! Hehehehe! Now that I think about it, I don't think I really want to, anymore." he laughed, scratching the back of his head. Lina giggled at him, "Alright, Gourry. I was just joking, anyways. Well, I guess after the grape-crushing, I'm more than welcome to accompany you to the festival." Lina said, giving a wink. Gourry's eyes lit up, as he asked, "Really? You will?" Lina nodded, "Yep. It's a date!" she smiled. Then, Gourry came over to her side, and patted her head gently. "Night, Lina." he said, smiling down at her. She smiled back at him, laying back down, "Night, Gourry." He opened the door, and closed it softly behind him. She rested her hands behind her head, just relaxing for a moment before she had to get up, to change to her pajamas. Then, her mind drifted off to another subject, to Gourry. 

Gourry: good-old Jellyfish-for-Brains, her "protector" for a good three years, her partner-in-crime in some ways, and not just that but also her best and closest friend. Sure, Amelia and Zel were also considered her best friends in many ways, but Gourry, no matter what, has always stayed by her side; never once has he ever strayed from her, while Zel disappeared somewhere again, looking for his cure, and Amelia went back to Seyruun, since she had responsibilities and such as Seyruun's next queen. Must be harsh on Amelia, especially since she is rumored to have a lost older sister, who escaped the throne after the queen's death. Some say that she ran away, I heard from others that she was entitled to leave; no matter how she left, the results are the same: Amelia is now sole heir to the throne, now. Lina now contemplated whether to pay a visit to Amelia, after the festival, but then doubted whether to do it or not, since the last couple of times they happened to bump into her, Amelia tried to snub them; she even went as far as to put a funny-faces mask on her, stating: "Who are you? I don't believe we met!" Lina sighed, then got up to try and clear her thoughts. She undressed from her soft, flowing Zephilian clothes, and walked to her closet. Since tonight's a bit warm, I don't think that flannel's the best choice to sleep in, she thought as she went through her closet. Then, she spotted a good pair; they were a matching set of a short sort of negligee-and-girl boxers. The short negligee was a soft yellow color, as were the boxers, with an embroided decal of a yellow-orange Dahlia of the lower-right leg of the boxers. She quickly slipped into the pajamas, and stretched again before heading for bed. She climbed into her bed, and pulled her blankets over herself. She sighed, snuggling into her soft, warm bed. Before she drifted off to sleep, she started to think of how happy Gourry will be when he receives her cookies. 

That morning, Lina grogginly woke up, then remembered that today was Gourry's birthday and the day of the festival, and smiled at that thought. She sat up, stretching her arms, giving a loud yawn. "Today's the day!" she giggled. She jumped off her bed, and rushed to her closet. She searched for something to wear, since she didn't have much of an idea of what she wanted to wear. Then, she saw what she wanted, and a wide smile spread on her face. It was an off-white knitted muumuu, that came to her knees, with long sleeves that came to her hands. It was looked a few sizes bigger than her, but she liked it that way. "Wow, I haven't wore this in forever! I remember that I used to live in this dress!" she gushed, as she pulled out a familiar belt to complete her ensemble.

"GOOD MORNING!" Lina called out, as she stepped in the kitchen. "Morning, Lili!" Fiona responded, smiling to her cheerful daughter. "Morning, sunshine!" a familiar masculine voice replied, one that caught Lina off-guard. "Gourry! Um, Up a bit early, ain't ya?" Lina fidgeted. She had originally intended to bake the cookies now, but with Gourry, it wouldn't be much of a surprise. "Well, Gourry-hon, we can continue our conversation later! Right now, I have a feeling that Lina might need to talkabout something with me." Fiona said to Gourry, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Alright. I'll be in my room, when you're done, Lina. Bye, Fiona!" Gourry waved as he exited the room. "You were discussing things with Gourry?" Lina asked her mother, unsure if she should suspicious or shocked that Gourry and her mother had something to discuss. "Yes, but it's nothing! So, you're here to start on those cookies, right? C'mon, let's get right to it, then!" Fiona rolled up the imaginary sleeve on her right arm, extremely enthusiastic about Lina baking her cookies. "Sometimes, you've got WAY too much energy for one person, Mama." Lina bluntly said, as she sweatdropped at her mother.

Then, it was time to start pulling out the flour, the butter, sugar, corn syrup, and salt; followed right after those ingredients came the bowls. Lina folded back her sleeves, and even when as far as to use a long ribbon to strap back her long sleeves. After urgings from her mother to wash her hands, she blended all the ingredients in a huge bowl, kneading the becoming-dough dough with her hands, while her mother got the cookie pan ready. After all of the ingredients was blended into the dough, she proceeded to tear large nuggets of dough and rolled around in her hands to create three-inch spheres. After Lina got the hang of this, she found that it was getting to be kinda fun. Then, after rolling the last piece of dough, her mother had preheated the oven, and they placed the cookies in rows of fours, and slid the pan inside the oven, and Fiona reached for a timer that her father probably invented for them, to count when a certain amout of time has timed and to make a loud ringing sound when the time was up. Fiona just hugged Lina closely, "I'm so proud of you, Lili! You did it all by yourself, and I know that Gourry will really love those cookies!" Fiona gushed, hugging her tightly. Lina just hugged her mother back, really happy and proud of herself.

After the twenty minutes were up, Fiona went through many ideas of how to wrap up the cookies that it made Lina's head spin. "Um, I don't think we really need to think so much on the wrapping; just a simple hankerchief with a ribbon should do! Oh, by the way, Mama, how are we going to keep them warm until the festival?" Lina asked her smiling mother. "Heehee! Leave that to me!" Then, she turned off the oven, which still contained the cookies inside, and held up her hand to the mouth of the oven. "BOMB SPRID!" The spell she used look very similar to a Fireball, but not even close to how destructible as a Fireball. The most a Bomb Sprid did was produce heat for a prolonged period of time. It was a fairly simple spell, but usually not too necessary. After casting the spell on the cookies, Fiona shutted the oven door, dusting her hands. "Well, that takes care of that! Now, go change! It's going to be noon, and the grape-crushing starts at noon!" Lina undid her ribbon tying back her muumuu sleeves, and rushed off to her room. "Oh, I almost forgot!" Lina conjured a glowing orb from her palm, seeming to absorb some air from the kitchen. "What was that?" Fiona asked. "Hehe, it's an original spell of mine I made for being on the road. I'd sometimes sneak food into her room, and I made it so Gourry wouldn't follow the smell!" Lina explained, then proceeded to rush around the house, absorbing all the aroma the cookies spent throughtout the house.

"Cookies? I smell cookies." Gourry stated, as he wondered outside of his room.

Lina, after that little morning exercise, hurried to her room and slipped on the dress she received from Luna. The dress was breath-taking; it was a crimson red dress, with embroided pink rosebuds and light green vines entwined with each other throughout the dress, with black ribbons to tie the corset of the dress, with a white spherical-sleeved blouse peeking out of the bodice, covering her chest area, black shoes to top it off. After changing into her costume, she started to brush her hair and put on her favorite golden-orb earrings. After brushing her hair, she thought back having her hair pulled back for the festival. I hardly ever have my hair pulled back, maybe I should, just for today. Maybe in a ponytail? I don't want to do pigtails; I'm not a kid anymore! A braid, maybe? she contemplated, then she split her hair into two parts, then wrapped her hair into a bun on her left side. She knew that this kind of hairstyle she'd NEVER even consider, but today, she felt in the mood for change. She pulled out a pair of red ribbons and proceeded to pull her hair into two pigtails, to wrap her red hair around into a pair of buns.

"Alright, I'll be at the festival with Luna! See you all there!" Lina shouted as she left the house to join Luna at the festival. She ran up to Luna's house, which she found out what her address was last night; her house wasn't too far down the street from the Inverse household, which made things less confusing for everyone. She knocked on Luna's door. "Hey, Moon-breath! I'm ready to go to the festival! Let's go now!" Lina shouted. Within that minute, Luna stepped out with her costume, in different colors to Lina's, but could be considered matching. Her dress was black, with yellow rosebuds, and a red ribbon tying her corset and a red ribbon around her right wrist. "Well, well, Squirt! Looks like SOMEONE wanted to go for a change today, uh?" Luna smirked, referring to her uncommon hairstyle. "Too different?" Lina asked, playing with a stray lock of hair. "Nah, it suits you, in a way. It's just going to be surprising for some who know you." Luna commented, as they walked together to the festival. "Ah, well. Today is a special day, and I feel like having it today." Lina remarked. Luna smiled at her energetic little sister. "I'm sure GOURRY'll like it!" Luna replied, with an overbearing teasing voice that almost made Lina cringe. "You know, you DON'T have to bring him up, Moon-breath!" Lina scolded, with a blush on her cheeks. "Oh, hush, Squirt! Let's get to that festival now, so we can sneak out with some wine!" Luna said, with a triumphant voice. "Yeah! Let's get two bottles and we can really start the festival!" Lina joined in. "Hmm, ... nah, I think you might want another bottle, for you and Gourry to share!" Luna winked, then started to rush for the festival, leaving Lina blushing and embarassed. "D-Dammit! Come back here, Moon-breath!" Lina chased after Luna, who was just snickering at her sister's embarassment.

When they arrived, all the other girls were just about ready to get ready; they were doing some warm-ups similar to those ballerinas use before the big recital, and some were washing their feet. Lina and Luna removed their shoes, and soaked their feet. "Alright. A good couple of hours of nothing but grapes under our feet. You ready, Squirt?" Luna asked, looking over at Lina. "As ready as I'll ever be, Moon-breath." Lina replied, spinning her foot in the right, then left, direction. "OK then, let's do it!" Luna said, stepping into an large empty barrel, soon to be filled with grapes. "Alright." Lina replied, stepping in the same barrel as Luna. Then, the barrel was quickly filled with red grapes as their competitive drive was starting to rev up. They grabbed each other's shoulder, glaring at each other, and started stomping.

At the coming of dusk, all the grapes provided were stomped and crushed, into the wine that will be used till next year's festival, between all the maidens of Zephilia City. Lina and Luna were out-of-breath, and were ready to wash their feet from all the grape juice that was rubbed off on them. "Well, that was fun, uh, Luna?" Lina smiled. "Yeah. Just like old times, when we'd have our own little competitions between each other on who crushed more grapes!" Luna smiled back, slipping her feet in the tub full of water. "Ahhh ... " Luna sighed. "Hey, move over! You're hogging up all the goodness!" Lina scolded, then accompanied Luna in her sighings. "Ahhh, that feels good ... " Lina sighed. "Yep." Luna replied.

After scolding from the other girls who complained of the Inverse sisters of being in that tub for too long, they were ultimately kicked out, to slip back on their shoes. "Hey Luna, let's go steal some bottles!" Lina suggested, while a grin played on Luna's face. "Sounds like an idea to me!" Luna agreed. Then, after that was decided, Luna and Lina sneaked off to the Zephilia Wine Cellar, which held all the wine supply for tonight's event, and they both took one bottle of wine: Luna taking the white wine, while Lina took the red wine, both giggling as they ran away from the wine cellar, proud of their efforts and their stealings.

Gourry and the Inverses came to the festival together, with Gourry in a new attire to his white tunic he usually wore. "By the way, thank you for lending me these clothes from your store, Mr. Inverse!" Gourry thanked, while Raluf smiled back. "Oh, don't get me wrong, my boy; I know I said that they weren't easy to sell, since they're so large, but you're still paying me for them, boy!" he said, matter-of-factly. "WHAT? I guess I should have seen that coming; how much?" Gourry almost dreaded even thinking of how much could Raluf charge him. "Five gold is all we ask for!" Fiona interrupted, lifting up five fingers. "WHAT! Fiona, what are you doing?" Raluf reacted. "Gourry is now a friend of the family, and he's taken such good care of our youngest daughter for the past three years; I think five gold is the most appropiate price." Fiona stated, glaring at her husband, making him almost shrink back. "Alright, alright; I suppose the price of five gold of those is a reward for protecting our daughter. But, don't think that, if you try anything funny with our daughter, you're getting away with THAT, young man!" Raluf threatened Gourry. Gourry nodded, giving the five gold, "I promise, I won't try anything funny on Lina." With that, Fiona pulled Gourry away, to tell Gourry, "You don't need to listen to Raluf tonight; he doesn't know what he's talking about! Now, just do what we discussed this morning; just follow the paved road until you see the Zephilia Grape Tree. It's the tallest tree imagineable, and just take your time, with Lina, there." Fiona informed, with Gourry nodding and paying close attention to Fiona's words. "Alright, I'll do that, Fiona. Thank you." Gourry smiled, truly grateful for all of Fiona's help. She just smiled back, "I know you'll make my daughter very happy; that's why I'm helping you. I've known since the first moment we met. I'm an excellent judge of character; Lina got that from me, you know. So, when you see Lina, just do that, and I know that I can leave the rest to you." After needing to say that, Fiona gave Gourry a quick hug, and patted his back, with a tear in her eye. "I'll take good care of her, Fiona." Gourry said, trying to console Fiona. "I know that, Gourry. I know that." she said, wiping her tears. Then, Fiona saw Lina running up to her, from a distance, and pulled out the hankerchief, enclosed with Gourry's cookies, from her handbag. "Ah! Lili, you're here," she hugged her closely, slipping the hanky in Lina's hands, "I'll leave you two along to enjoy the festival yourselves." Fiona took one last look at her youngest daughter, having a strong feeling that this night was going to radically change everything. "See you!" she waved, walking to her puzzled husband, as to what just happened. "Fiona, darling, what just happened just now?" he asked. "Something important is going to happen tonight, dearest." she stated, a smile playing on her face.

Gourry and Lina stood there, Lina a bit puzzled as to why her mother left so abruptly. "Well, let's get going, Gourry!" Lina said, releasing her hair from the ribbons, and linking her arm with his. "OK; say, let's go down to the Zephilia Grape Tree!" Gourry suggested. "The Grape Tree? Why all the way out there?" Lina asked, tilting her head, fluffing her hair. "Um, 'cause I wanna see it before we leave." Gourry said, pointing his index finger up. "Alright." she shrugged, guiding Gourry along a paved road that was probably the one Fiona was referring to.

After a few minutes of walking, they finally made it to the large grape tree, that was a few hundred dozen grapes shy now. "Wow ... it's huge!" Gourry awed. "Yep; that's why its the local resource of wine, unless it's sold by a private brand." Lina informed, looking up at Gourry. Lina walked up to the tree, and leaned her back against it, with Gourry in front of her. Lina started to blush, looking at Gourry. Her heart was starting to pound, then she remembered abruptly. "I almost forgot: here! Here's your present, baked by yours truly! Happy Birthday, Gourry!" Lina cheered, handing over the hanky. Gourry looked ecstatic, looking at the small package. "Cookies! I LOVE cookies!" Gourry said, with Lina smiling up at him. "What kind are they?" he asked. "They're shortbread cookies!" she replied. "How did you know that I like shortbread cookies?" he smiled, truly happy with his present. "I didn't; I just took a guess." she confessed, shrugging her shoulders. "I love it, Lina. Thank you!" Gourry smiled to Lina, as he started to eat his present. Lina started to blush again, thinking of what she should do now. Then, she lifted herself from her toes, and kissed him on his cheek, while he ate his cookies. He pause during the mid-chewing, to absorb what she just did. She just looked up at him, with her eyes twinkling. He gulped, swallowing down the cookie he was devouring, with crumbs still around his mouth. She giggled, "You have all over your mouth, Jellyfish." she laughed, brushing off the crumbs off his face; she brushed her hand against his lips, and Gourry closed his eyes to feel her soft fingers against his lips. He grabbed her remaining hand, and placed his other hand over her cheek. She closed her eyes, letting her feeling completely take over, allowing herself to be under Gourry's touch; under usual circumstances, she'd have Dragon Slaved him by now, but something about tonight made her want to consider the alternate, just letting herself be completely smitten by Gourry, for she didn't feel like fighting her feelings tonight. He'd usualy be scared to even consider attempting this, but something about tonight, and maybe even Fiona, seemed to tell him differently. He opened his eyes, to look at her under the moonlight, "You're beautiful ... " he whispered, taking Lina by surprise, and pressed his lips against hers. At that second, a large firework exploded in the night sky. The festival officially started, and Gourry and Lina didn't seem to mind not being there. She wrapped her arms around his neck, deeping their kiss. Gourry held her close to his body, feeling the fabric on her dress. Her hand wandered into his golden blonde hair, just enjoying their first kiss since the Sea of Chaos. Somehow, this felt familiar to them both, not that they minded.

"I love you, Lina ... ," Gourry said, after minutes of their kissing.

"What?" Lina spoke up, completely caught off-guard. "I said, I love you, Lina." Gourry said again, with a smile on his face. All logic didn't register; all consequences no longer stood between her and her untold feelings for him; all that mattered was him and her, together, right now. "I love you, too, Gourry." she sighed, leaning her head against his chest, to listen to the rythym of his heartbeat. He smiled, stroking her hair tenderly, while she toyed with his between her fingers. He could never ask for anything more than this moment with Lina, right here, right now. He kissed the top of her head, as she took in the smell of musk that was adourned on his clothes. "Do you think we should be getting back, Lina?" Gourry asked Lina, still running his hand through her hair. "Mm, I guess, but why would want to, so quickly?" Lina suggested, giving Gourry a naughty smile, in which he smiled back, and they both started laughing together, starting to kiss each other again. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: HAPPY 4TH OF JULY EVERYONE! Hey, to all those who's read this story this far, THANK YOU SO MUCH! Also, a great big shoutout & thanks to my bud (& #1 fan ;P )BlueJellyFish (email me!), cuz her support always makes me wanna pull through! THANK YOU SO MUCH! & also to Gerao-A, & to Neo-cristal Serenity, who've given me support when I needed it! THANK YOU, GUYS:D :D :D Well, this chapter, I don't think, requires TOO much commentary, but let's get cracking! First off, the dress that Lina was talking about first, was the dress she flashbacked seeing herself in, in Slayers Pefect, when she fell into the illusion of Zephilia done by Lagan. The dress Lina & Luna use for the festival is basically a spin-off of one of those German dresses; I thought it be cute to have them included in this story. Lina's hairstyle, basically like Miaka's from Fushigi Yuugi, I know is COMPLETELY polar-opposite of Lina, but I WANTED TO DO IT! SO THERE! So, there's a small paid homage to Lina's thing for dressing Gourry as a girl, & or at least suggesting it. The part with Gourry & the Inverses playing with the fireworks, ... they HAD to be preoccupied somehow, while Luna & Lina were talking, and the fireworks seemed like an escape. The segment with Lina reminscencing, there is slight hintings of Amelia's older sister (SPOLIER a.k.a. Naga the White Serpent)! If you're familiar with them, you're probably aware of the fact that Naga is the older sister of Amelia, & left Seyruun after her mother's death. There's other sites to get further details on this, so I'm not going to elaborate into this! The way Lina bakes Gourry's cookies is pretty how it's instructed to do them, except they're supposed to be 1" orbs, instead of 3"! Her muumuu & pajamas mentioned are not what I own, but what I DO wanna buy! I wanna muumuu:D Bomb Sprid is, I think, a real spell; whether it was mentioned before in the novel, I'm not sure; but, I read about it in another fanfiction! The part with the grape-stomping, I felt right to add, since it's a pretty important part to the festival, and even their little competitions. The part with Fiona completely behind Gourry & Lina 100 percent (good to see more L/G supporters, in these stories, huh:D) , very necessary, to get the point across that she is really a great mom, & willing to let her daughter go to a man who is truly worthy of her heart, whom she knows that that man could be Gourry. The part of her being a good judge of character, had to be added, cuz it'd nice to know where Lina got some of her traits from. Of course, the bit of Raluf trying to over-charge Gourry who his clothes, just some randomness inserted to try & lighten up the mood & also a little thingy that he & Lina share! ;) And, of course, FINALLY, the moment I've been DYING to write: Gourry & Lina's kiss! Sure, not too much to go into, 'cuz it speaks for itself! Of course, there's only so much detail to go into, without grossing anyone out, but I think that keeping it to a minimum is sometimes the best idea, do you? Well, stay tuned for the next installment; whether it's the last chapter or not, I'll keep you posted! Ciao! ;)


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